It has been revealed where Cristiano Ronaldo will play club football in 2023 and beyond. The former Manchester United striker is reportedly set to sign a two-and-a-half year contract with a staggering salary.
On November 20, the 37-year-old Portuguese legend left Manchester United of his own free will. In his first season back at Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo accomplished exactly what he was brought in to do, leading all scorers with 24 goals in all competitions.
He was, however, swiftly demoted by his new boss, Erik ten Hag, and the great man took the demotion like a lead balloon.
His final six months of employment were marred by disciplinary matters, and it appeared that everyone involved needed to part ways. Man Utd acted swiftly to end their relationship with Ronaldo following an unwise and explosive interview with TalkTV.
The striker’s prime years are undoubtedly behind him at age 37, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still useful.
According to numerous reports, Ronaldo wanted to stay in one of Europe’s top five leagues, and more specifically, he wanted to play for a team that could meet his Champions League requirements.
But no real interest materialized; Al Nassr from Saudi Arabia made the only official offer.
Following Portugal’s World Cup elimination, Ronaldo had been improving his fitness at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training facility. However, Los Blancos did not intend for anything extraordinary to happen in return for that; it was just a straightforward act of goodwill.
Instead, according to the Spanish publication Marca, Ronaldo will be unveiled by Al Nassr before 2022 is over.
They claim that as soon as Ronaldo’s departure from United was approved, negotiations with Al Nassr started. Ronaldo is rumored to have recently flown to Dubai in preparation for the move. The deal is expected to be a two and a half year one that lasts until the summer of 2025.
Al Nassr anticipates completing the enormous victory for Saudi Arabian football before the year 2023 ends. In doing so, the former Manchester United striker will agree to a staggering €200 million annual contract (roughly £3.35 million per week).
Both Ronaldo’s salary and the lucrative endorsement deals he will sign will contribute to his enormous pay package. He will undoubtedly become the highest paid athlete in the world as a result, and by a significant margin.
Al Nassr is currently in first place in the Saudi Arabian Pro League, and league champions advance to the AFC Champions League, which is the Asian version of Europe’s competition.
The team’s first nine league games this season have resulted in seven victories, one tie, and one defeat. Their first fixture in 2023 is against Al-Ta’ee on January 5 and that clash could be where Ronaldo makes his debut.
Ronaldo will team up with former Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, where Al Nassr are based, if the transfer is approved.
Former Benfica forward Anderson Talisca, former Brazilian international Luis Gustavo, and Cameroonian Vincent Aboubakar are other well-known players on the team.
Ronaldo might face off against former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo.
The Nigerian, who teams up with former West Brom talisman Matheus Pereira, has seven goals in 13 appearances for Al Hilal this season.
Ronaldo will undoubtedly think he has a good chance of consistently scoring in Saudi Arabia.
