The Portuguese superstar decided to continue his career in Serie A, but he wasn't the first player to shock the sports world with an unexpected move
Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Juventus came as a shock to almost everybody.
After nine dominant season with Real Madrid, it was all over so suddenly, with the 33-year-old having done little more than hint at the potential for a move ahead of leaving Los Blancos for Turin.
But Ronaldo wasn't the first player to shake up the world by switching teams.
Goal runs through the 10 most shocking player moves in sports history.
Otto Greule Jr1Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings – 1988It was proved on August 9, 1988, that any player can be traded, even the greatest of his or her sport. On this date, The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, was traded as part of a mega multi-player deal from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. Only 27 years old at the time of the trade, and still very much in the prime of his illustrious career, Gretzky proved to be too costly for the small-market Oilers to keep, and this deal — which landed Edmonton $15 million in cash as part of the return for Gretzky, Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski — was actually consummated between owners Peter Pocklington (Oilers) and Bruce McNall (Kings), not the general managers. Gretzky's arrival in Los Angeles put the West Coast of the United States on the map as a prime NHL destination and set the stage for further expansion to Anaheim and San Jose, even though the Kings never did win a Stanley Cup with Gretzky on the team. The Oilers, meanwhile, completed their dynasty with another Cup victory in 1990 before the dismantling of the great championship squad was completed in the early '90s.AdvertisementGetty Images2Diego Maradona to Napoli – 1984The best player in the world moving to Napoli from Barcelona for a record transfer fee was just as shocking in 1984 when Maradona did it as it would be today if Lionel Messi decided to make a similar move. The fee of £6.9 million (($10.5m) seems like pennies in today's market, but after two injury-hit seasons with the Catalan club, in which the volatile Argentine had numerous spats with management, the Italian club decided he was well worth the risk. Over the course of his seven Serie A seasons Maradona netted 81 times in the league and helped the club to two league titles, a Coppa Italia, a Supercoppa Italiana and the UEFA Cup. Doug Pensinger3Peyton Manning to the Denver Broncos – 2012Manning’s career appeared to be nearing an end when he missed the entire 2011 season after undergoing neck surgery, and the Colts released him in 2012 to clear the way for No. 1 pick Andrew Luck. Manning, however, signed with the Broncos. It became clear once again that Manning, and not the Colts, would be the chief competition for the New England Patriots in the AFC. Manning set single-season records in yards (5,477) and TDs (55) while leading Denver to an appearance in Super Bowl 48, and two years later he led the Broncos to a victory in Super Bowl 50. Manning retired in 2016 after 18 seasons.Getty4Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain – 2017French club PSG wanted to make a statement to the world that they were a factor at the top level, and the €222 million (£201m/$260m) signing of Barcelona superstar Neymar was just the ticket. The Brazilian had worked his way into being considered one of the best players on the planet while with the Spanish side, despite playing second fiddle to Lionel Messi. PSG offered him the chance to be the main man and their payout to buy his services was stunning, having more than doubled the previous record amount spent by Manchester United to sign Paul Pogba in 2016. His first season in Paris saw Neymar net 19 goals in 20 matches, though an injury put an early end to his campaign and the French side fell short in the Champions League.