Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly asked not to be selected against Udinese as he tries to seal a move away from Turin.
The Portuguese has one year remaining on his deal, which is worth around €31m net per season.
At the start of the summer it was rumoured that Juve would be quite keen to get Ronaldo off the wage bill, with the forward looking for a new challenge.
The Serie A giants have since publicly stated that he will stay, but agent Jorge Mendes appears to be looking to orchestrate a move.
CR7 has been linked with a return to Real Madrid - something which both he and Carlo Ancelotti denied - as well as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
And while Ronaldo publicly refuted rumours he’d be going back to the Bernabeu, his statement never once mentioned Juventus.
The veteran was dropped for his side’s Serie A opener against Udinese, with Sky Italia reporting he’d asked not to be selected.
But the club’s vice-president Pavel Nedved insists that Ronaldo will be staying in Piedmont.
He told DAZN: “Do not look for sensationalism where there is none.
“It is a choice shared with the player, it’s normal that he’s not in top condition.
“The coach is trying to field the best team, even (Giorgio) Chiellini who is a European champion has been left out: it is a choice made to be competitive.
“Cristiano will remain a Juventus player."
