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Everybody knows that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world. Ronaldo is showing no signs of slowing down, although he is well past 30. The Portugal talisman claimed the Serie A best player award after amassing 21 goals last season. However, the Juventus star is also known for his more unconventional work as an unofficial agent.
The 34-year-old is a player who does not hesitate to communicate his feelings. Several players are known to have received an invitation from the mercurial forward to join him at his club. It is understandable that many important factors can affect a player's decision over the future and we cannot be sure that a player will make a move even if Ronaldo asks him to.
Nevertheless, it could serve as a hint as to which player has Ronaldo's acknowledgment and such encouragement may tilt the scales in his decision. Here, we will take a look at four stars who are lucky enough to receive a request from Ronaldo to play alongside the Portuguese megastar himself.
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#4. Matthijs de Ligt
It is no secret that Ronaldo asked the Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt to join Juventus before the 19-year-old moved to Turin. Ronaldo and De Ligt faced each other in the UEFA Nations League final which the Portuguese won. Later, De Ligt confirmed that Ronaldo wanted him at Juventus after the match ended.
"Ronaldo asked me to go to Juventus," De Ligt said.
"I was surprised by his request, which is why I laughed."
"I didn't understand him at first."
De Ligt had been closely linked with European giants such as Barcelona, Manchester United and Paris Saint Germain before he joined Juventus on a five-year deal. Nevertheless, De Ligt is now a Juventus player and will play alongside the former Real Madrid star in the upcoming season.
However, the Dutch star recently confirmed that he had already decided to join Juventus after the Nations League final. Thus, his decision to join the club was not influenced by Ronaldo's request. Juventus have signed the Ajax sensation for a massive €75 million plus additional costs of € 10,5 million. The €10.5 million is believed to be Mino Raiola's commission.
#3. James Rodriguez
Bayern legend Lothar Matthaus revealed that Ronaldo wants the Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez at Juventus. Matthaus made the statement after speaking with the Colombian during the Bayern's celebration of their Bundesliga win. James spent his last two seasons on loan at Bayern, claiming two Bundesliga titles. Unfortunately, Bayern refused to trigger the player's €42 million buyout option.
"I see him at Juventus," Matthaus told AS.
"We had a conversation two weeks ago, during the celebration of Bayern's Bundesliga win.
"He is very close to Ronaldo and told me that he was in contact with him and that he has told him that he wants to have him at Juventus.
"I understand why as James can serve Ronaldo so that he can score and the two of them can shine."
However, James's Juventus move is now unlikely and Napoli and Atletico Madrid are closely linked with the player.
#2. Robert Lewandowski
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague spoke to Robert Lewandowski in March. The journalist threw a question to him as to whether it was true that Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo had previously asked him to come to Real Madrid. The Bayern Munich striker went face-to-face with Ronaldo several times when the Portuguese star was a Real Madrid player.
The 30-year-old replied to Balague's question with a yes. However, the player insisted that he did not think about another move in his career at this point. Many believe that the Polish striker will be an upgrade to Karim Benzema at Real Madrid. Unfortunately, Lewandowski's Real Madrid move has remained a rumor so far.
The former Dortmund man might have passed 30, but he is still one of Europe's best strikers. He finished as the Bundesliga top scorer last season, scoring 22 goals from 33 appearances. Lewandowski also became one of the most prolific players in the Champions League, netting eight goals.
#4. Marcelo
Marcelo has been Ronaldo's best friend from the time the two played together at Real Madrid. The Real Madrid defender has been linked with a move to Juventus following Ronaldo's arrival at the Serie A club.
Ronaldo appeared to invite Marcelo to join him at Juventus during an interview, revealing that he would open the doors to good players and Marcelo is one of them. Marcelo had a tough time at Real Madrid last season. He saw his form drop considerably, and then the Los Blancos manager Santiago Solari even began starting Sergio Reguilon ahead of him.
However, Marcelo's situation has changed since Real Madrid appointed Zinedine Zidane for the second time. He became a regular under the Frenchman despite his declining form. Now, he looks set to stay at Real Madrid and has been included in the club's pre-season. On the other hand, Juventus seem happy with their current left-back Alex Sandro, who has extended his contract with the club until 2023.
(All stats from transfermarkt.com)
