by Cristiano Ronaldo is going to Saudi Arabia. After weeks of speculation about his next move following the termination of his contract with Manchester United, the legendary Portuguese striker will join Saudi Pro League’s Al-Nassr for a record deal that will reportedly pay $75m a year. It will make the 38-year-old future player the highest-paid player in world history.
Reports have been speculating for weeks that this will be Ronaldo’s next move, and on Friday afternoon the club announced his new signing in a tweet.
History is being written. This is a signature that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success, but also our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls, to be the best versions of themselves. Welcome @Cristiano to your new home @AlNassrFC pic.twitter.com/oan7nu8NWC
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) 30 December 2022
“I’ve been lucky to have won everything I set out to win in European football, and I feel now is the right moment to share my experience in Asia,” Ronaldo told ESPN. “I’m looking forward to joining my new teammates and helping them achieve success for the Club.”
There are numerous media reports suggesting that Ronaldo isn’t just looking to Saudi Arabia for his next move. Sporting Kansas City are “very close” to signing Ronaldo, according to ESPN’s Taylor Twellman and MLS’s Tom Bogert.
multiple @MLS teams asked about Ronaldo and his future, but 1 team was already on the table: @SportingKC
Their offer was so convincing that Ronaldo’s team had multiple meetings with SKC before getting the Saudi deal. I was told the package (fees/commercial) was “very close”. #MLS— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) 31 December 2022
Sources can confirm: Sporting KC was the closest MLS team to signing Cristiano Ronaldo. The negotiations, which had been going on for weeks, were a real possibility.
The package was very good. Plans were being made to achieve this. SKC had “discovery rights” (i.e. the way to sign it). Wild. https://t.co/MIXxIEPHHY pic.twitter.com/On4bRwasdo
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) 31 December 2022
SKC had plans for all the little details of how a possible arrival of Ronaldo would change everything. Property involved in talks and others. Patrick Mahomes is an example of a “small market” superstar that Ronaldo’s camp enjoys.
Ronaldo officially signed today in Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/eISas41Zm3
— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) 31 December 2022
Ronaldo returned from Juventus to Manchester United in 2021 after previously leaving the club in 2009 to join Real Madrid. After seeing his role change dramatically under new manager Erik ten Hag this year, Ronaldo gave a now infamous interview to Piers Morgan in November, where he overly criticized many at the club and hastened his departure.
