It has been a year since Cristiano Ronaldo decided to leave Real Madrid and head to Italy, to seek a new challenge with Serie A champions Juventus.

Since his departure, it hasn't been a happy camp at the Bernabeu as they failed to win any silverware last season; the worst part was they were embarrassed by Ajax in the Champions League, losing 4-1 at home and 5-3 on aggregate, leaving Real unable to defend their trophy.

Liverpool legend Steve Nicol believes Arsenal need to add a central defender to their ranks this summer and Daniele Rugani could prove a quality addition to the squad. The Italian has spent his entire career with Juventus but he is understood to be considering his future with the big-money arrival of Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax.

Speaking to ESPN FC, Nicol highlighted that the Gunners are still having a weak link at the back and they need to sort out the issue ahead of the new campaign. He added that Rugani could be a useful option to strengthen the central defensive department, although the club may have to take the gamble on the 24-year-old, considering he has not played an extended run of games with the Old Lady.

Super-agent Mino Raiola has said that Matthijs de Ligt is keen on making the switch to Juventus this summer, although he won’t push through the departure from Ajax. The Serie A holders have been widely touted to land De Ligt in the transfer window but so far, they have failed with their initial approach for the Dutchman.

Speaking to De Telegraaf, Raiola revealed that De Ligt has an agreement to leave Ajax as per the discussions held during the previous campaign. He added that an arbitration case for the defender remains out of question and the centre-back is hopeful of making the switch to Turin with the blessings from the Dutch champions.

Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon has said that Cristiano Ronaldo was lured to the Serie A because of the Bianconeri rather than the surroundings of Italy. The Portugal international had a wonderful first season where he scored 27 goals across all competitions and he helped the Bianconeri to win the Serie A for the eighth-season running.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Buffon said that there is nothing fake about the 34-year-old and he sees the Portuguese as a professional, who is determined to achieve regular success with the Turin giants, he told: “Cristiano? I don’t think Ronaldo chose to come to Italy, he chose Juventus. If you’ll allow me to say, it’s a different reality to the others. We met up in Turin and I don’t think Ronaldo is pretending to be the perfect champion. He is simply someone who set himself personal and professional goals and spent all his life trying to achieve them. He sets the example.”

Cristiano Ronaldo took the decision to leave Real Madrid behind after winning a third Champions League on the spin and head to Italy to join Juventus. It's fair to say it has been a mixed season for the 34-year-old old, especially from a player who demands so much from his team and himself.

The Portuguese star failed to register a fourth straight Champions League and he even failed to be the Serie A's top goalscorer, missing out by five goals to Fabio Quagliarella, who finished the season with 26 to his name.

Former Everton star Tim Cahill has said that Cristiano Ronaldo should be awarded with the Ballon d’Or ahead of Lionel Messi this year. The Portugal international ended his nine-year association with Real Madrid to pursue a fresh challenge with Juventus and Cahill believes the attacker’s success in Turin should be acknowledged with another Ballon d’Or crown.

He said: "He left Real Madrid, went there and had such a massive impact on another league. I've never seen another player do it at Man United, Madrid for so many years. And I know he didn't win the Champions League, but he has such an impact in any club. If you can take players and put them somewhere at his age... I know people won't agree, I just appreciate his professionalism."

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has said that players should not be compared with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, considering they are maintaining scoring statistics which are beyond the capabilities of others. One of Messi or Ronaldo had won the Ballon d’Or between 2008 and 2017 but that trend changed last year with midfielder Luka Modric bagging the accolade.

Speaking to The Manchester Evening News, Pogba suggested that Messi and Ronaldo remain the exception when it comes to performances, given they have been scoring loads of goals on a seasonal basis. He added that some of the legends of the past are being made to look average with the statistics and every player’s work should be judged with perspective.

Juventus manager Max Allegri has said that he is committed to the cause of the club despite the recent Champions League exit at the hands of Ajax. The Bianconeri were outclassed by Ajax over the course of the double-legged quarter-final and the latter eventually prevailed with a 3-2 aggregate in the end.

Speaking after the game, Allegri praised the performance from Ajax and said that the Eredivisie outfit truly deserve to make the next stage of the competition. He added that he is fully committed to the Turin giants for the future and the immediate focus remaining on clinching an eighth successive Serie A crown.

Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale has denied suggestions that he had a rift with former Madrid galactico Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo was one of the first major acquisitions by president Florentino Perez when he took over from Ramón Calderón in January 2009. Ronaldo was signed for a then-world record fee of £80 million. The Portuguese international was able to hold his position as the world’s most expensive player for four years before the record was broken by the arrival of Gareth Bale for £90 million. Up until then, Ronaldo had enjoyed the supreme status and his ego seemed to have suffered a major blow when Bale turned up at the Santiago Bernabeu.

As a result, there were frequent reports of Ronaldo not getting along well with Bale. This was even demonstrated by a couple of on-the-field incidents in which Ronaldo did not celebrate when Bale scored a goal. The pair, though, played a crucial role in the success of the team during their time together. After playing together for five years, Ronaldo quit the Santiago Bernabeu for Juventus in the summer of 2018. Even though Bale’s importance at Real Madrid has gone down drastically over the last couple of years due to injuries, he remains an integral part of the Los Blancos.

When it comes to Manchester United and superstar players, the list is certainly an illustrious one. Whether it be the likes of George Best and Denis Law from yesteryear or Cristiano Ronaldo at the start of this century, Old Trafford has been the home to many a great over the past few decades.

However, since the departure of Ronaldo to Spanish giants Real Madrid back in 2009, it could be argued that the club have not really had the same calibre of player pull on their world famous red and black colours.