Saudi officials are reportedly in “difficult” talks to keep Cristiano Ronaldo in the country, with one of their-top flight giants, Al-Hilal, said to be in front of rivals Al-Ahli to sign the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo, who has been with Al-Nassr for more than two years without winning a trophy, strongly suggested on Monday that he will leave the club when his contract ends imminently
The 40-year-old told his hundreds of millions of social media followers: “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all.”
Cristiano Ronaldo next club
The hugely wealthy Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is a major investor in the Saudi Pro League, is negotiating in a bid to “convince Ronaldo to stay and play”, according to an AFP source.
“First option is a transfer to Al-Hilal with an opportunity to feature in the FIFA Club World Cup, or to Asian champions Al-Ahli,” the source added.
The sovereign wealth fund behind a number of vast Saudi investments in sport controls a group of Pro League clubs including Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo play at the Club World Cup?
A special transfer window opens from June 1-10 to allow the 32 teams in the newly-expanded Club World Cup, which starts on June 14, to sign players.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino said “there are discussions” over Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer playing in the tournament in the US.
“Ronaldo’s presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half,” added the agency’s source. “He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia.”
Cristiano Ronaldo transfer
Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez named the 40-year-old in his 27-man squad this month for the Nations League semi-final clash against Germany in Munich on June 4 (20:00).
Portugal’s all-time leading scorer has remained a menace in front of goal this term, netting 35 goals in 41 matches across all competitions for Al-Nassr as he finished as the Saudi Pro League top scorer in successive seasons.
A return to Portuguese heavyweights Sporting, where Ronaldo began his professional career, is a sentimental option for the football icon.
Ronaldo weekly salary
On Forbes’ all-time list of the highest earning athletes, only boxer Floyd Mayweather eclipses Ronaldo, having earned an estimated $300m (£226m) in 2015 and $285m (£214.5m) in 2018.
Ronaldo was said to have surpassed $1 billion (£771m) in career earnings two years before becoming the most high-profile footballer to move to Saudi Arabia in December 2022 following his departure from United.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr deal is widely reported to be worth £14.75m a month or £3.4m per week. His annual salary is said to be £177m per year, made up of £62m for his football salary, supplemented by commercial bonuses.
The player known as CR7 has a variety of lucrative sponsorship deals, with his recent endorsements including Whoop, video game UFL and cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
