According to rumours in Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo will sign a deal with Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr on January 1.
After his shocking departure from Manchester United just two days before the World Cup began, the Portuguese superstar appears to have finally found a new club.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner may earn up to €200 million (£172 million) per season under the deal, which is believed to be one of the richest in sports history.
At the beginning of next month, Ronaldo is expected to sign a contract with the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr, the Daily Mail said.
The publication asserts that the initial transaction, which will be worth around $100 million (£86 million), will be encouraged by additional agreements including advertising and sponsorship deals.
The 37-year-old was a free agent at the end of the previous month after his strained relationship with the club’s management deteriorated as a result of his contentious comments in a TV interview with Piers Morgan.
Although the forward hasn’t spoken out about his future during the World Cup, where his country’s team is currently in the round of 16, it appears that he has been working behind the scenes to finalize a deal.
Al-Nassr is one of Saudi Arabia’s most prosperous clubs. They have won the nation’s top division nine times, with their most recent victory occurring in 2019.
Al-Nassr managed to win the Saudi Super Cup in both the years 2020 and 2021 even though they did not win the league.
The club, however, has had trouble making a name for itself on a global scale, but they did take part in the 1999–2000 Club World Cup.
They lost 3-1 against Real Madrid in that year’s group match, with goals from Nicolas Anelka and Raul for the Spanish powerhouse.
David Ospina, a former goalkeeper for Arsenal, Luiz Gustavo, a midfielder from Brazil, and Vincent Aboubakar, a striker from Cameroon who last week scored a goal that was in contention for goal of the tournament at the Qatar World Cup, are some other notable former stars currently playing for the Saudi giants.
In comparison to playing in front of 74,310 people at Old Trafford, they play at Mrsool Park, which can hold only 25,000 spectators.
Previously, between March 2018 to March 2020, their chairman, Musalli Almuammar, served as the Saudi Pro League’s president.
He presently serves as a consultant to Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, a government agency that oversees the sector.
Following his explosive two-part interview with Morgan on TalkTV earlier this month, it was confirmed that Ronaldo had left Manchester United by mutual consent with immediate effect. Sportsmail exclusively revealed earlier this month that Ronaldo would say goodbye to £16million.
Many rumors followed his departure, but Premier League opponent Chelsea also lost interest in Ronaldo after his explosive interview in which he attacked United’s owner and manager Erik ten Hag.
Oliver Kahn, the CEO of Bayern Munich, also disqualified a move for Ronaldo last month after the Portugal star’s status as a free agent.
Kahn speaking with Sky Sport Germany said, “We have already dealt with this. We have a clear idea, a philosophy of how our squad should be put together. We all appreciate him, there’s no discussion. “
