Maurizio Sarri has taken the reins at Juventus and made a meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo one of his first points of business.
The former Napoli and Chelsea boss is back in Serie A after a season-long spell in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge and he has inherited a star-studded squad in Turin from Massimiliano Allegri.
And it would appear that Sarri is already eager to ensure that he has everybody on the same page and buying into his plans for 2019-20.
Ronaldo will have a prominent role to play for the Bianconeri next season and his new boss has made a special trip to meet his star player, with Sarri visiting the Portuguese on the French Riviera on Friday.
Sporting director Fabio Paratici was also in attendance as a blueprint was drawn up for a new era at the Allianz Stadium.
A major part of that project will be a slight positional tweak for Ronaldo, with the intention being to get the five-time Ballon d’Or winner operating as a central striker, rather than a support forward.
Juventus want the 34-year-old in and around the penalty area at all times and their belief is that Ronaldo could chase down the all-time record of most goals in a single Serie A season, which currently stands at 36.
Gonzalo Higuain, who is due back at Juve this summer from a loan spell at Chelsea, is the current record holder after his stunning campaign with Napoli, under Sarri’s stewardship, in the 2015-16 season.
Ronaldo managed 28 across all competitions in 2018-19, with 21 of those coming in the Italian top-flight and Sarri’s plan is to now push the Portuguese closer to 40.
