Ronaldo offered mammoth Middle Eastern deal – media
Cristiano Ronaldo has been offered a $225 million deal to join Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, according to a report by CBS. The 37-year-old is looking for a new club after his contract at Manchester United was terminated by mutual consent earlier in November.
According to the US news outlet, Al Nassr are ready to pay Ronaldo $75 million a year in a three-year contract that would see him playing into his 40s.
Ronaldo’s time at Manchester United came to an end with an explosive TV interview with Piers Morgan in which the footballer criticized numerous figures at Old Trafford, including manager Erik ten Hag and US owners the Glazer family.
According to CBS Sports, the Riyadh-based Al Nassr hope that Ronaldo “will be keen to break new ground” and move to the Middle East once he has completed his World Cup campaign with Portugal in Qatar.
Ronaldo had already sought to force an exit from Manchester United ahead of the new season in the hopes of playing Champions League football, before things came to a head with his incendiary interview with Morgan.
Ronaldo confirmed to Morgan that he had already snubbed an offer from Saudi Arabia during the summer – reportedly worth around £300 million ($360 million) from Al-Hilal.
CBS says that the move from nine-time Saudi champions Al Nassr is “the only formal contract offered” to Ronaldo since he parted ways with United.
Ronaldo was on target from the penalty spot as Portugal opened their World Cup campaign with a 3-2 win over Ghana on Thursday.
The strike made Ronaldo the first men’s player to score at five editions of the World Cup finals, and extended his record international tally to 118 goals.
Portugal next play Group H rivals Uruguay on Monday at Lusail Stadium, before taking on South Korea on Friday at Education City Stadium.
