As the Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus rumours continue to gain momentum, ESPN FC’s Craig Burley explains why he’s not sold on the move.
Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi has said he would like to see Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo join the club amid increasing speculation linking him with a move.
At a news conference ahead of France’s World Cup quarterfinal against Uruguay on Friday, Matuidi was asked about the potential arrival of the Portugal captain.
“Ronaldo? That would be nice,” he said. “It would be great to have him at Juve.”
Matuidi misses out against Uruguay following his booking in the win over Argentina but tipped his teammates to do well in what he predicted would be a difficult game.
“We are like a family — we are all together,” he said. My replacement? I am not the coach. It will be a difficult match, but not a nightmare. We know this, but we can also trouble any team ourselves.
“The coach [Didier Deschamps] is very thorough — he is very close to his players. The most important thing for him is to know how to put our opponents in difficult situations.
“France are moving forward positively with him — I tip my hat to him.”
Matuidi praised Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe and said he hoped France’s two-goal hero against Argentina could exploit any gaps left by Uruguay.
“Even in the smallest spaces, the little guy is strong,” he said. “He is very quick, and he will be able to sneak up on Uruguay.”
Meanwhile, Adil Rami told reporters he felt Paul Pogba had matured into one of France’s key figures.
“Paul has changed,” he said. “On the pitch he is still the same, but he has become a real leader now.”
Jonathan Johnson covers PSG and the French national team for ESPN FC. Twitter: @Jon_LeGossip.
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