Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly close to agreeing a deal with Saudi side Al Nassr. The forward is set to sign a bumper £172.9million-a-year contract with the Saudi club, according to Spanish news outlet Marca.
Since about a week recently, after Ronaldo reached an agreement to soon terminate his contract with Manchester United, there have been reports that many clubs in Saudi Arabia are contacting the Portuguese striker. The defending champion of this country Al-Hilal is said to be the first to approach.
Al Nassr believes that the appearance of the owner of the five Golden Balls can help them raise the bar and surpass rival Al-Hilal to regain dominance in the domestic tournament.
Ronaldo has no plans after ending his relationship with the Red Devils. Even before to that, he and the Old Trafford team got into a conflict over the session of a 90-minute interview with Morgan that could not be resolved.
The former Real Madrid and Juventus striker said he was betrayed by United, criticised the owners and declared no respect for coach Erik ten Hag.
Al Nassr is one of the most successful clubs in Saudi Arabia with nine championships, most recently in 2019. They are led by former AS Roma coach Rudi Garcia.
Al Nassr’s squad also includes former Arsenal and Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina and Spain midfielder Alvaro Gonzalez.
After being released by United, Ronaldo said in a statement: “I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge.”
Inter Miami were also believed to be interested in Ronaldo with owner David Beckham reportedly holding talks with the 37-year-old.
Currently, Ronaldo is featuring at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar for Portugal. He recently became the only player to score in five World Cups.
