Cristiano Ronaldo has declared that he will ‘always love the city of Turin’ after leaving Juventus to make a sensational return to Manchester United. The Red Devils have announced that a deal has been agreed with the Italian giants to see the 36-year-old make his way back to Old Trafford, subject to a medical and personal terms being finalised.
Ronaldo scored 101 goals from 134 appearances in all competitions for Juventus during his three-year spell with the Italian giants.
He issued a farewell message via Instagram on Friday evening, thanking the club’s fans for their support and claiming that Turin will continue to hold a special place in his heart.
“Today I depart from an amazing club, the biggest in Italy and surely one of the biggest in all of Europe,” said Ronaldo.
“I gave my heart and soul for Juventus and I’ll always love the city of Turin until my final days.
“The ‘tiffosi bianconeri’ always respected me and I tried to thank that respect by fighting for them in every game, every season, every competition.
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“In the end, we can all look back and realize that we achieved great things, not all that we wanted, but still, we wrote a pretty beautiful story together.”
Ronaldo joined Juventus from Real Madrid for a fee of £105million back in 2018, with the Portuguese forward going on to win every available domestic trophy with the club.
He is expected to pen a two-year contract upon his return to United, with Juventus accepting a bid of £15million plus another £7m in add-ons.
Manchester City looked to be in pole position for Ronaldo’s signature until they withdrew from the race earlier on Friday.
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The player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, initially offered his services to the defending Premier League champions before they ultimately decided against pursuing the move.
The five-time Ballon D’Or winner had previously informed Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri of his desire to seek a new challenge ahead of next week’s transfer deadline.
Meanwhile, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hinted at the possibility of a late move for Ronaldo on Friday morning, insisting that the door would always be open for him at Old Trafford.
“He is a legend of this club, the greatest player of all time if you ask me,” the 47-year-old told reporters.
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“I was fortunate enough to play with him. I coached him when I got my job.
“He almost retired me because that Wolverhampton game, when I got injured, he kept switching sides.
“He is such a tremendous human being as well. Let’s see what happens with Cristiano. Everyone who has played with him has a soft spot for him.
“We’ve always had a good communication. Bruno [Fernandes] has been talking to him. He knows what we feel about him.
“If he was ever going to move away from Juventus, he knows we’re here.”