Real Madrid fans, for whom Cristiano Ronaldo has been synonymous with the club, were left dismayed, as reports surfaced of the Portuguese star ending his association with the Champions League holders.   

According to a Goal.com report, the 33-year-old is close to completing a move to Serie A side Juventus, having already reached an agreement over a four-year contract worth €30 million ($35 million) per season. Juventus still have to negotiate a fee with Madrid and are expected to pay upwards of €100 million ($117 million), which could go as high as €120 million ($140.5 million).

While his love for the Spanish club is well-documented, in recent times that love affair had gone sour because of the impending tax issues the star had had with the Spanish authorities, which resulted in a €18.8 million ($22 million) payoff. His discontent with the club increased as Ronaldo had a rough start to the season while Madrid were constantly reported to be looking for replacements for him. This week, Madrid had to release statements denying reports they had made offers for Paris Saint-Germain stars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

The prospect of the Portugal star leaving the Santiago Bernabeu outfit increased since he indicated that he wanted to leave after his side beat Liverpool to win a third consecutive Champions League final. He has maintained that he admired Juventus as a child and felt the respect of the fans after scoring with a stunning overhead kick when Madrid visited Turin in the Champions League. 

Ronaldo sees Juventus as the ideal team to enhance his global reputation as he aims to dominate another of Europe’s top divisions and compete for another Champions League crown to add to the five he has won with Manchester United and Real Madrid.

It appears then that for Ronaldo, the love lost in Spain is to be discovered in Italy!