Cristiano Ronaldo in Europa League? Juventus struggling to finish top 4 in Serie A

As unthinkable as it may seem, Cristiano Ronaldo might be suiting up in the Europa League next season as Juventus continue to stutter in the Serie A standings. The Old Lady had a chance to cement a top-four place at the expense of AC Milan on Sunday, but fell to a humiliating 3-0 defeat, dropping them to fifth in the table. The Old Lady will now hope to ride their luck and make it to the Champions League this season, but performances like the one on Sunday hardly make a compelling case for Andrea Pirlo's side. 

Juventus vs Milan highlights: Cristiano Ronaldo & co. slip closer to Europa League after Rossoneri setback 

Before kickoff at Allianz Stadium on Sunday night, Juventus and Milan were level on points with the winner all but confirming their place in the Champions League next season. In a must-win clash, Andrea Pirlo's men failed to turn up as goals from Brahim Diaz, Ante Rebic and Fikayo Tomori sealed the three points for Milan who moved to 3rd in the Serie A standings. The Old Lady managed one shot on target during the 90 minutes, leaving them a point off the top four with just three games remaining. 

The remaining Juventus fixtures see them travel to eighth-place Sassuolo before a blockbuster clash against champions Inter Milan and a season finale against Bologna. Andrea Pirlo's men will have to win all three games and hope that other results bend in their favour as the Italian manager looks to save his job in what has been a disastrous debut campaign. Pirlo is likely to get the sack if Juventus end up in the Europa League and it could likely see the exit of star man Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Cristiano Ronaldo transfer news: Man United, Sporting best bets for Juventus ace 

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been in sublime form this season, but speculation over his future continues with Manchester United and Real Madrid both linked with his signature. As per Calcio Mercato, Ronaldo has his heart set on a return to Manchester United and is "ready to do anything it takes to get back to wearing the Red Devils shirt" this summer. Real Madrid's precarious financial condition makes it a difficult prospect for them to make a move for the Portuguese ace, especially as they eye a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe. Ronaldo has been linked with PSG in the past, but those links have died especially with Neymar now signing a new contract. 

However, as per Italian journalist Claudio Raimondi, Ronaldo wants to honour his Juventus contract and return to Sporting once his deal runs out. The former Manchester United star has a deal until 2022 with Juventus and eyes a two-year spell with Sporting after the expiry of those terms. Raimondi believes neither Real Madrid nor Man United have the financial muscle to sign Ronaldo, with the Portuguese legend having no conditions to leave Juventus, especially for personal reasons and the connection with his sponsors. If those claims are to be true, we might truly see the leading scorer in Champions League history add some to his Europa League tally next season. 

(Image Courtesy: Juventus Instagram)