Cristiano Ronaldo will sign a £175m-a-year deal with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr before the end of the year, according to Marca.
The 37-year-old’s contract at Manchester United was terminated earlier this month after he slated the club in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.
Ronaldo – who is currently in Dubai – was linked with the Saudi Arabian club before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but refused to comment as he was focused on the tournament.
According to Marca, Al Nassr want to sign Ronaldo before the end of the year and have offered the 37-year-old a whopping £175m-a-year deal to secure his services.
Ronaldo and his family are said to be waiting in Dubai until the deal – which includes advertising agreements – is confirmed.
The Portugal international rejected a switch to Saudi last summer, but without any firm interest from Europe’s elite clubs, he looks set to now make the move.
Al Nassr are one of the most successful clubs in Saudi Arabia, having being crowned winners of the country’s top flight nine times, with their most recent triumph coming in 2019.
In both 2020 and 2021, Al-Nassr may not have won the league, but they did manage to win the Saudi Super Cup. However, they have struggled to make a splash on the global scene. Their only Club World Cup appearance came in the 1999-2000 season, where they played against one of Ronaldo’s former clubs, Real Madrid, and lost 3-1.
They went on to beat Raja Casablanca 4-3, but lost 2-0 to Brazilian side Corinthians as they missed out on a place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Al Nassr are currently managed by Frenchman Rudi Garcia, who has previously coached Roma, Marseille and Lyon. They also play in a 25,000 seater stadium.
Ronaldo joining Al Nassr would be monumental for the club and the country as a whole given they are looking to become a major sporting nation.
Saudi Arabia’s Sports Minister previously claimed he would ‘love’ to see Ronaldo play in the nation’s domestic football league.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Prince Abdulaziz said: ‘Anything is possible, I would love to see Ronaldo play in the Saudi league.
‘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 move to Al Nassar comes shortly after his contract with Premier League giants, Manchester United, was terminated.
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