Saudi club, Al-Nassr issues deadline to sign Cristiano Ronaldo

• Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr are committed to finalising a deal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo
• Unconfirmed reports suggest Ronaldo has accepted the offer
• However, he is having trouble piqueing interest from European clubs

Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr is committed to finalising a contract deal aimed at signing Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo by January 1.

This follows his early exit with Manchester United, where many anticipated that he would stay through the end of the current campaign. However, Old Trafford and Ronaldo mutually agreed to sever ties in November 2022.

Ronaldo’s hard-hitting interview with British journalist Piers Morgan was the impetus for the choice. During the interview, he criticised the Red Devils and their manager Erik ten Hag, triggering uproar and action by the club.

He boldly said that ten Hag didn’t respect him, and there was no way he could respect someone who couldn’t respect him in return. Ronaldo spoke of how he felt unwanted at Old Trafford, adding that all he wanted was the best for his childhood club.

Ronaldo with former coach, Ten Hag.|PHOTO: Goal|

United had no choice other than terminate his contract with seven months left.  Ronaldo would then proceed as a free agent for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Although Ronaldo has had trouble piquing the interest of prestigious clubs, he is confident that he can continue to perform at his best in Europe. As things stand, Al-Nassr appears to be the only interested party.

Al-Nassr allegedly made the forward an offer of a contract through 2025 with a salary of over $300 million annually. According to rumours, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has consented to relocate to the Middle East.

But Cristiano Ronaldo denied reports that he was travelling to Al-Nasr while the FIFA World Cup was going on. The former Sporting Lisbon hero seems to be hoping to transfer to a European team.

However, the Portugal captain might be compelled to take Al-offer Nassr’s if no premier team makes an offer. The Saudi Arabian organisation wants to make his signing official by January 1, 2023, Marca reports.

According to reports, one of Ronaldo’s representatives was recently in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, to finalise the transfer’s finer points. Now, the question is whether the athlete will actually sign a contract with them.

Cristiano Ronaldo.|PHOTO: CBS|

In November, sections of the media reported that after lengthy negotiations with his agent Jorge Mendes, the Saudi powerhouse Al Nassr was ready to offer Ronaldo a three-year contract worth more than £186 million ($225 million).

Given his newly discovered availability, interest from Saudi is at an all-time high, and if he made the switch, he would earn £62 million ($75 million) per year.

CBS Sports in November reported that negotiations on a contract started during the summer and are moving forward. But Ronaldo has not yet made up his mind about his future. If he decides to leave the Champions League and move to Saudi Arabia, a transaction should be completed quickly.

There is a perception that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is watching for a robust European team to approach him with favourable terms. It is so, especially with Lionel Messi edging closer to his Champions League goal total.