Former Juventus attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly demanded through his lawyers that the Italian giants pay him an outstanding £17m that he is still owed.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner spent three years in Turin between 2018 and 2021 after leaving Real Madrid, amassing 101 goals and 22 assists in 134 appearances.
Ronaldo helped the Old Lady win two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana crowns during his time in Turin, and he left in the summer of 2021 to rejoin Manchester United.
Juventus received a €17m (£14.7m) fee for the transfer of the 37-year-old, who is now on the lookout for a new club once again following his exit from Manchester United by mutual consent.
However, Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Ronaldo is still owed as much as £17m by Juventus due to previous agreements with the club that were not made public.
© Reuters
The report claims that the agreement was struck during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Ronaldo has now instructed his legal team to extract the money from the Bianconeri.
The news comes in the wake of the entire Juventus board's sudden resignation, with chairman Andrea Agnelli and vice president Pavel Nedved among those to step down from their roles.
Juventus have become embroiled in a financial scandal over alleged false accounting, which the club denies, and they are also under investigation from UEFA over potential Financial Fair Play breaches.
Ronaldo agreed to forgo the remainder of his £500k-a-week wages at Man United after leaving by mutual consent in the wake of his explosive interview with Piers Morgan,
The Portugal international blasted Erik ten Hag and admitted that he had no respect for the current Man United manager, who only gave the striker four starts in the Premier League.
© Reuters
Ronaldo is not expected to make a decision on his future until after the World Cup, as Portugal prepare to take on Switzerland in the final last-16 battle on Tuesday evening.
The ex-Real Madrid man is believed to be keen to continue playing in the Champions League, with Chelsea and Sporting Lisbon believed to be two of the only realistic European contenders for his signature.
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly was understood to have been pushing for a move for Ronaldo over the summer, but then-manager Thomas Tuchel did not agree and vetoed a move.
However, the Blues have been tipped to reignite their interest in Ronaldo following Tuchel's sacking, while clubs in Saudi Arabia are pushing to bring him to the Middle East.
Al-Nassr have reportedly offered the forward a deal worth a staggering €200m (£172.5m) per year, which would make Ronaldo the highest-paid player in the world.
Ben Knapton
