Snubbed by European clubs Ronaldo set to commit Al Nassr until 2030
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to join the Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr as a free agent after failing to secure a viable offer from any teams in Europe’s leading leagues.
The 37-year-old has also received a proposal to move to the Qatar Stars League, though the financial terms on offer are understood to be inferior to those presented by their Gulf neighbour and rival.
Ronaldo secured a compensation-free exit from Manchester United last month when club and player agreed to a no-fault termination of a contract that was due to run until the end of the season.
Having failed to persuade the forward to accept a two-year, €300 million (£263 million) contract last summer, Al Nassr believe they now have an agreement regarding a revised deal and want it formalised before the new year.
While Chelsea’s new owners were ready to pay a transfer fee for Ronaldo after he requested a summer exit from Old Trafford, they halted the transaction on the advice of their then head coach Thomas Tuchel. Other Champions League clubs who explored a deal included Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli. All stepped away from negotiations as Ronaldo became embroiled in conflicts with both his club and the national team.
Prior to the World Cup, the Bayern chief executive, Oliver Kahn, confirmed that the German club had considered signing the five-times Champions League winner in the summer before withdrawing from transfer talks. “We briefly discussed Ronaldo at Bayern, and Dortmund probably did too,” Kahn said. “We also see the big picture of the Bundesliga. Of course, superstars like Ronaldo are an important factor in attracting attention to the league. He is one of the greatest of the last decade. But we quickly dismissed that.”
Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of Ronaldo, who turns 38 in February, forms part of the nation’s multi-billion spend on elite sport; one intended to overhaul Qatar’s investment in the area.
MARCA was the first to report exclusively on the tempting offer that had come Ronaldo's way from Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, back on November 23. A week later was the principle of agreement, and by December 5 the fate of Cristiano Ronaldo was already decided. He was ready to sign for two and a half years in Saudi Arabia.
The agreement may become official on Thursday, December 22, or shortly after, once Cristiano has decided to head to Riyadh to sign a contract that will bind him to Al Nassr and Saudi Arabia until 2030.
Two and a half years of that will be as a player and the rest as an ambassador for Saudi Arabia's bid alongside Egypt and Greece to host the 2030 World Cup.
From the beginning there has been talk of 200 million euros for each of the seasons. As MARCA has learned, this amount refers to the two and a half years as a footballer, an amount that will increase when he becomes an ambassador of the bid to organize the World Cup.
