Football star Cristiano Ronaldo, who is in Dubai, will reportedly sign for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
After the FIFA World Cup 2022 disappointment with Portugal, he finished training at Valdebebas, and now in Riyadh, they are waiting for him to become a player of Al Nassr until June 2025, reported MARCA. Negotiations started at the same time as his exit from Manchester United. The World Cup also provided a logical break for talks to take place. The move to the Saudi Arabian club is expected to take place this year only. The offer is said to be for two and a half seasons with a payment per season of around 200 million euros ($21,22,96,000) between salary and advertising campaigns.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is taking advantage of Christmas to spend some time in Dubai. After the World Cup, he has not declared that he is thinking of leaving the national team. Messages from his entourage even point to the World Cup 2026 as a possible objective.
It seems that European football has turned its back on the 37-year-old, or at least the teams that the Portugal international is interested in. His contract at Manchester United was terminated a few weeks ago after he attacked the club in a bombshell interview with TV personality Piers Morgan. He had rejected a switch to Saudi last summer, according to Daily Mail.
Al Nassr, which is one of the most successful clubs in Saudi Arabia, has been crowned winner of the country's top flight nine times. In 2020 and 2021, Al Nassr did not win the league, but it did manage to clinch the Saudi Super Cup. Still, they have struggled to make an impact on the global scene. Their only club World Cup appearance came in the 1999-2000 season. At the time, they played against one of Ronaldo's former clubs, Real Madrid. They lost 3-1 back then.
Ronaldo joining the club would be monumental moment for it and the country as a whole. In fact, Saudi Arabia are looking to become a major sporting country. Earlier, Saudi Arabia's Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz claimed that he would "love" to see Ronaldo play in the nation's domestic football league.
According to Asianet Newsable, Rudi Garcia, a Frenchman who had earlier managed Roma, Marseille, and Al Nassr, is now in charge of the club.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
