As per reports emerging from Saudi Arabia, Portuguese football superstar and five-time Ballon d'Or Winner Cristiano Ronaldo has officially signed a sensational two-year deal with Al-Nassr. Local media outlet Al Arabiya has confirmed that the 37-year-old has signed the deal on Friday after a period in which there was a lot of speculation over Ronaldo's future who had become a free agent post his termination of contract with Manchester United.
The tweet from the official handle of Al Arabiya loosely translates to: “Al-Nassr Saudi Arabia officially contracts with Cristiano Ronaldo for two seasons.”
While the move effectively means, Ronaldo will move away from the top-tier European leagues, it ensures the ageing superstar will draw home a fat paycheque as he comes close to calling it a day to an illustrious career. The contract is said to be worth $75 million-per-year as per CBS Sports. It has been learnt that Ronaldo has officially signed the contract on Friday afternoon but the club will announce him as the new player after their away game on Saturday against Al Khaleej (December 31).
It hasn't been a season to remember for Ronaldo so far. While he had a fall out with United manager Erik Ten Hag, he did not have a great FIFA World Cup 2022 either, managing to score just once which was a penalty conversion. Ronaldo found himself on the bench in the team's quarterfinal match against Morocco.
Meanwhile, during the World Cup break, Ronaldo's contract with the Red Devils was also terminated following his explosive interview with journalist Piers Morgan. Not only did Ronaldo went on record saying that he has no respect for Hag but he event suggested that he felt betrayed at the Old Trafford not only this year but even in the year before when he had marked his return to the club for his second stint.
Man United have made zero progress since Alex Ferguson left: Cristiano Ronaldo
“I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t respect me, I’m never gonna have respect for you,” the former Real Madrid forward said in this interview.
“I want the best for the club. This is why I came to Manchester United.
“But you have some things inside that don’t help (us) reach the top level as City, Liverpool and even now Arsenal… a club with this dimension should be top of the tree in my opinion and they are not, unfortunately,” he added.
“The progress was zero Since Sir Alex (Ferguson) left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed,” Ronaldo said.