Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus transfer and the moment he first considered Serie A move

Cristiano Ronaldo's bicycle kick stunned Juventus fans. [Photo/Courtesy]

Cristiano Ronaldo 's rumoured move to Juventus appears to be gathering pace and the infancy of the mega deal can be traced back to April.

The Real Madrid superstar came up against the Old Lady in the Champions League quarter-finals.

And the Portuguese settled the first leg in Turin with a brace in the 3-0 win, including a spectacular bicycle kick that stunned the home crowd.

So much so that the crowd at the Allianz Arena rose to its feet and gave Ronaldo a standing ovation.

The appreciation had a profound effect on Ronaldo, who reciprocated with a chest pump before holding his hands together as a sign of gratitude.

The Portuguese reciprocated the gesture. The respect between Ronaldo and the Juve fans could have paved the way for a mega deal this summer. [Photo/Courtesy]

The mutual respect may have been where Ronaldo first envisaged himself pulling on the famous white and black stripes.

"That was one of the nicest moments I've had this evening," Ronaldo said."For people to applaud me at a stadium like that of Juventus, where they've had great players and where they have great players, is a top moment.

"I'm very happy and excited because this has always been a club that I've liked since I was a little boy.

"For them to applaud you, that stays in your heart. I have to thank all of the Italians who were here in the stadium and who applauded me. Grazie!"

A reported €100m release clause (available to non-Spanish and English clubs, with Paris Saint-Germain also omitted) was inserted into Ronaldo's contract in January.

Spanish newspaper AS claim the player has accepted Juve's contract offer worth €30m per year, meaning a deal could be imminent - but without the respect from the Italian fans, Ronaldo may not have even considered moving to Serie A.