Cristiano Ronaldo asks to be benched by Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo requested not to start Juventus' meeting with Udinese on Sunday as he hopes to find a move away from the club in the near future.

The 36-year-old has been unsettled in Turin for a while now and has been considering his options, although Juventus have always been adamant that Ronaldo will not be leaving the club.

Manager Massimiliano Allegri recently did his best to try and put the rumours to bed for good, but here we are, 24 hours later, and they are stronger than ever.

Ronaldo was surprisingly named on the bench for the Udinese game, and after the decision was made final, Fabrizio Romano revealed it was Ronaldo himself who didn't want to play.

The Portugal international specifically requested not to start the game as he hopes to engineer a move away from the club before the transfer window closes.

As of yet, Juventus have received no official bids for Ronaldo and they remain keen to keep him around, but this decision suggests they may be fighting an uphill battle.

In terms of suitors, Carlo Ancelotti recently confirmed that Real Madrid aren't interested, while Paris Saint-Germain can't afford him after signing Lionel Messi.

That leaves former employers Manchester United, who are not in any rush to bring Ronaldo back, and cross-town rivals Manchester City as the only remaining suitors.

Ronaldo, who was left out of the final pre-season friendly because of 'fitness issues', has one year remaining on his contract and does not intend to see that out.

Juventus aren't going to sell him easily, but with this latest development, this really is one to keep an eye on for the next two weeks.