Revealed: Ronaldo's INSANE NEW offer to move to Saudi Arabia

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 21 Dec 2022 13:20 GMT
• 3 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo is in Saudi Arabia to discuss terms on a move to Al-Nassr, and the contract offer for the Portuguese superstar is climbing to astronomical levels.

Ronaldo became football's most eligible free agent on the eve of the Word Cup after slamming then-employers Manchester United in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

The frustrated 37-year-old said he didn't respect manager Erik ten Hag and that the club hadn't moved forward in 17 years of Glazer family ownership.

READ: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Man Utd exit 'hurt' admits club legend

Since his contract was rescinded, Ronaldo had hoped to find a club playing in the Champions League, but no such offer has been forthcoming, with David Beckham's Inter Miami emerging as his most viable alternative to a move to the Middle East.

But the financials behind any such move are becoming increasingly difficult to turn down, with Al-Nassr now reportedly upping their offer to Ronaldo to €200 million per season, plus bonuses, until 2025.

Whilst Ronaldo remains perhaps the most marketable athlete in sport, the numbers being talked about perhaps make more sense considering Al-Nassr's bid is supported by the state, who want Ronaldo to be the face of their 2030 World Cup bid.

READ: Ronaldo breaks silence over €500m Al-Nassr contract

'Ronaldo will inspire the future'

"Anything is possible, I'd love to see Ronaldo play in the Saudi league," sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud told the BBC last month.

"It would benefit the league, the sports eco-system in Saudi and it will inspire the youth for the future. He's a role model to a lot of kids and has a big fan base."

Ronaldo's arrival could make for a sea-change in Saudi Arabian football, but not everybody is happy, with Vincent Aboubakar reportedly seeking a move away from Al-Nassr now they are looking for another striker, Ronaldo or not.

Aboubakar has scored 11 goals in 35 game since joining on a free from Besiktas in the summer of 2021. He scored a wonderful chip for Cameroon against Serbia at the World Cup, but the suspicion remains that he is a scorer of great goals rather than a great scorer of goals.