Ronaldo Asks Juventus To Sign His Ex-Real Madrid Teammate After Champions League Failure: Report

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly asked Juventus to sign his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema this summer.

Juventus clinched their ninth Serie A title in a row but failed to replicate that success in the Champions League yet again. Lyon knocked Juventus out of the European tournament on away goals in last-16 with a 2-2 aggregate as the final scoreline. The Old Lady has not won the Champions League in as long as 24 years now.

Following their Champions League exit, Juventus sacked Maurizio Sarri and appointed former club great Andrea Pirlo as their new first-team coach. It is believed no player in the Juventus squad is safe this summer as Pirlo is looking to revamp the side ahead of the 2020-21 season.

According to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, Ronaldo has suggested Pirlo to sign Benzema in the ongoing transfer market as a step towards European glory. Benzema was in a stellar form for Real Madrid in the 2019-20 season where he scored 28 goals in 47 competitive matches. He scored 21 league goals and was just behind Lionel Messi, who won the La Liga’s Golden Boot.

Benzema made 342 appearances alongside Ronaldo for Real Madrid, the most by any of the Portuguese player’s teammates so far in his career. The duo also struck a lethal partnership at Santiago Bernabeu during Ronaldo’s nine-year stint in Spain.

If Juventus do go ahead with Benzema’s signing, he is understood to be a direct replacement for Gonzalo Higuain, who is expected to leave in the coming weeks. Juventus have a chance here to form a star-studding front-three featuring Paulo Dybala, Ronaldo and Benzema.

However, it is still unknown if the 32-year-old Benzema is looking to leave Real Madrid, a side he has been associated with since 2009.

Meanwhile, it has also been reported Ronaldo’s future at Juventus looks gloomy as The Old Lady are now ready to cash in on the legendary forward amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). His move away from Turin could make room in their wage structure and that would allow the club to buy young players as Pirlo aims at turning an aging Juventus into a youth side ahead of the new campaign.