Juventus give Man United Cristiano Ronaldo transfer hope

Manchester United’s pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo has received a major boost after Juventus chiefs performed a drastic U-turn by sacking Andrea Pirlo.

The Italian was dismissed on Friday and Massimiliano Allegri quickly ushered in as his replacement for a second stint as Bianconeri boss.

Pirlo signed a two-year deal last August and led the club to Coppa Italia glory in his first season in charge, but an underwhelming fourth-place finish in Serie A sealed his fate.

However, Pirlo received assurances over his future only a matter of weeks ago as Juve vice-chairman Pavel Nedved insisted neither he nor Ronaldo were going anywhere.