Leonardo Bonucci Talks Real Madrid Summer Interest, Cristiano Ronaldo Impact

Juventus centre-back Leonardo Bonucci has said he turned down the chance to move to Real Madrid in the summer in favour of a switch back to the Turin giants.

Bonucci left Juventus in 2017 to join AC Milan and spent a season at the San Siro before he rejoined the Bianconeri.

During the summer transfer window there was plenty of speculation regarding other clubs being interested in the Italy international, and speaking to AS (h/t Calciomercato) the man himself said there was a chance to join Real Madrid.

"Yes, it's true, Real Madrid were interested in me," he said. "It was an honour and pleasure for me, it means that I have worked well in these years. But the call from Juventus and the desire to return home was fundamental, I decided that the Bianconeri colours fit me better." 

The re-signing of Bonucci was part of a significant summer of transfer activity for the Italian champions, as they also drafted in Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid in a move that initially shocked the football world.

Bonucci joked about how challenging a player Ronaldo is to come up against and what kind of impact he is capable of having on the team:

"If the best in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, arrives, it means that your level has grown. Our goal is to win the Champions League, we cannot and must not hide. 

"When he arrived I was not very happy because I was still an opponent (laughs). But it's really nice for Italian football. If you sign the best, it means that our league has again become attractive."

The centre-back also commented on the application Ronaldo showcases on the training pitch:

When Bonucci left Juventus he was considered by many to be the standout defender in world football and his acquisition was rated as a major coup for Milan.

However, he didn't endure the best of campaigns at the San Siro, with an expensively-acquired Milan outfit failing to challenge at the top of the Italian top flight or even qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Bonucci moved back to the club ahead of the campaign and given the nature of his departure for Milan in 2017, the Bianconeri faithful were not all pleased with his return. 

While there were some jeers aimed his way initially in his second spell, as Italian football writer David Amoyal noted, the Italian appeared to have the full backing of his coach and team-mates quickly:

After bringing in Bonucci and Ronaldo there is an expectation on Juventus to perform well in the Champions League this season. On Wednesday they face a major challenge in the first leg of their last-16 tie, as they visit Atletico Madrid.

With the experience of Bonucci and the European pedigree of Ronaldo, the Italian giants will be expected to come through the two legs and continue to progress in the tournament. If they can't, the wisdom of spending huge money on two players well into the peak years of their careers may be questioned.