- 11 hours ago
Cristiano Ronaldo’s €100m hopes RUINED by European giants
Robin Bairner
- 1 Feb 2025 06:26 CST
- 3 min read
The Saudi Pro League transfer window is now closed, with Cristiano Ronaldo denied the chance of playing alongside the division’s first €100 million player.
Al-Nassr made the headlines late in the window as they had two massive bids for Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma rejected, the second of which totalled €90m, but prior to that they had an even bigger offer for Rafael Leao of AC Milan turned down.
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STATS
Cristiano Ronaldo
F (C)
Al-Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo
F (C)
Al-Nassr
It was the ambition of the Saudi side to capture the Portugal international winger, who could have hooked up with his compatriot in the big-spending league.
Ronaldo, who recently signed an astonishing new contract, has struggled to win any silverware since moving to Saudi Arabia from Manchester United on a free transfer at the end of 2022. The 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup is the sole competition that he has won and Al-Nassr are already well off the pace of rivals Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League.
With just 37 goals scored - 15 of these by Ronaldo himself, including six penalties – there is a lack of firepower in the team compared to the table toppers.
The desire to sign a winger was designed to bridge this gap.
Al-Nassr tried spending big on both Mitoma and Rafael Leao but were knocked back in their attempts to land either.
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Milan stand firm on Leao demands
Tuttosport explains that Rafael Leao is simply seen as too important a player to allow to leave at this stage of what has been a turbulent season for Milan.
Although an inconsistent performer, he is still seen by the Rossoneri as one of their most valuable assets.
As such, Milan told Al-Nassr to trigger the release clause of the 25-year-old, which stands at €175m.
Leao, who is under contract until 2028, only has an Expected Transfer Value (ETV) of €63.9m, so Milan seem to be taking a large gamble by refusing such a large offer for the player.
Al-Nassr are expected to revisit the situation in the summer to provide Ronaldo with the supply he needs to challenge for the Saudi Pro League title. For now, the 39-year-old’s hopes have been dashed.
