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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Freddie Keighley

Jose Mourinho's plea to Cristiano Ronaldo as he makes transfer decision

Cristiano Ronaldo's latest transfer declaration will come as a blow to Jose Mourinho, who amusingly urged his former player to depart Juventus earlier this summer.

Ronaldo, 36, earlier this week hit out at "disrespectful" reports linking him with a return to Real Madrid and insisted he is focused on the task at hand with Juve.

"Anyone who knows me is aware of how focused I am on my work," the Portugal captain wrote on social media. "Less talk and more action, this has been my guiding motto since the start of my career.

"However, in view of everything that’s been said and written recently, I have to set out my position.

Mourinho and Ronaldo spent three seasons together at Real Madrid (Sunday Mirror)

"More than the disrespect for me as a man and as a player, the frivolous way that my future is covered in the media is disrespectful to all the clubs involved in these rumours, as well as to their players and staff."

Ronaldo went on to speak of his love for Real Madrid but warned the Spanish media they must stop "playing around" with his name.

He added: "I remain focused on my career and in my work, committed and prepared for all the challenges that I have to face. Everything else? Everything else is just talk."

Ronaldo's emphatic statement seemingly puts to bed any chance he could leave Juventus this summer and suggests he will see out the final year of his contract in Turin.

This will come as a blow to Roma boss Mourinho, who will have the unenviable task of setting up a side to keep Ronaldo at bay when the two teams meet in mid-October.

Get your free MATCH ATTAX Trading Cards inside this weekend’s Sunday Mirror.

Mourinho joked about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner as he spoke to talkSPORT last month, saying: "He should leave Italy now and leave me in peace!"

"Everybody says, and I say the same, he is not 25 any more. He is 36 and he doesn't score 50 goals, but how many did he score? The record is [still] incredible, the numbers speak by themselves."

Ronaldo was the top scorer in Serie A last season with 29 goals in 33 games and Mourinho admits his former Los Blancos player will not let up in his pursuit of more records.

"He is a legend, one of the big names that stays forever in football history, but the guy motivates himself with numbers and new things," said Mourinho of his compatriot.

"He wants to win the gold ball X times, the golden boot X times, he wants to get the record from the Iran player (Ali Daei) for goals for an international team."

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