Sergio Ramos believes he can play at the highest level for five more years but admits there has been no breakthrough over a new contract at Real Madrid.
Reports in Spain have claimed Ramos will leave Madrid at the end of the season, when his current deal expires. A recent offer from Madrid was said by Spanish media to be worth 10 per cent less than his existing agreement.
The 34-year-old centre-back has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and there appears to be a significant chance of him opting to move elsewhere after 16 seasons with the Bernabeu giants.
Whether he signs a new deal with Los Blancos or decides to depart, Ramos – who has not played since January after suffering a knee injury – is in no doubt he can perform on the biggest stage for years to come.
There is a lot of uncertainty, he told reporters on Thursday. I wish I could say something, but there is nothing new.
Sesión terminada. ¡Día de derbi!
Training session finished. Derby day!
— Sergio Ramos (@SergioRamos)
I was only thinking about coming back from injury and finishing the season in the best possible way.
There is nothing new about the renewal. I guarantee that when there is, I will be the first to report it. But now I am calm. Now I am focused on savouring the year.
I can perform three, four or five more years, if my body supports me and the injuries respect me.
I can be at the highest level. I work hard for it and my mentality will always be there. I make mistakes, but I learn from everyone. I ve been honest and I ve always done my best.
Ramos also defended his former Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese superstar came in for criticism following Juventus early Champions League exit this week.
Juve were eliminated from Europe s elite club competition by Porto at the last-16 stage on Tuesday, going out on away goals after the tie finished 4-4 on aggregate after extra time at the Allianz Stadium.
Sergio Oliveira scored the decisive goal late on from a free-kick that went straight through the Juve wall, with Ronaldo turning his back on the effort.
Former Bianconeri boss Fabio Capello singled out Ronaldo, while ex-president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli suggested Juve should never have spent €100million to sign the forward in 2018.
Ramos, though, has backed Ronaldo and hopes Madrid can avoid a similar fate to Juve when they take on Atalanta in the second leg of their last-16 tie next week, the LaLiga side holding a 1-0 advantage.
He is the flagship of Juventus, Ramos added. You think of Juve and you think of Cristiano.
If a bad streak comes, we only talk about the captain and the coach. It s something you have to stay away from. Cris makes a difference.
Nothing guarantees success. Any team can beat you in the Champions League. Barca fell yesterday, Juventus the day before. It could happen to anyone, but hopefully not us.
