Ronaldo breaks silence over €500m Al-Nassr contract

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:00 CDT
• 3 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken out over rumours that he has agreed to make a January transfer move to Al-Nassr once the World Cup has finished.

Ronaldo is a free agent after being released by Manchester United by mutual consent in November, with the 37-year-old cast out from the club after giving an unsolicited interview with Piers Morgan, in which he stated that he felt “betrayed” by the club and “disrespected” by manager Erik ten Hag.

Now a free agent, Ronaldo is free to negotiate when any club that he sees fit.

MORE: Ronaldo to Chelsea can't be ruled out, says Fabrizio Romano

With offers from major European clubs set to be thin on the ground – despite reported interest from Arsenal and perhaps even Chelsea – Ronaldo’s likeliest destination appears to be the Saudi Pro League, where Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are both reportedly in negotiations over a big-money deal.

Al-Nassr have offered Ronaldo a contract worth €500 million over the course of two-and-a-half years, but while some sources had indicated that the deal was effectively concluded, the player has now spoken out on the rumours.

“No, it isn’t true,” he told reporters in the wake of Portugal’s 6-1 World Cup victory over Switzerland.

MORE: Who are Al-Nassr? Everything you need to know about Ronaldo’s future club

What next for Ronaldo?

Even if Ronaldo has previously been on the record to state that he could play at the top level until he hits 40, the reality is that is becoming increasingly unlikely.

This was hammered home on Tuesday, when he was even relegated to the bench with the national team and spent much of the match watching on as the Portuguese romped into the quarter-finals of Qatar 2022. With his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, grabbing a hat-trick against the Swiss, the prospect of Ronaldo fighting his way into the starting XI before the end of the competition appears slim.

In the medium term, meanwhile, there are few obvious solutions for Ronaldo to join a major European club, doubtless making Al-Nassr’s lucrative payday all the more attractive.