CRISTIANO RONALDO has signed a two-year deal with Saudi side Al Nassr, according to sources in the Arab state.
The Portuguese star, 37, has been a free agent since his Manchester United contract was ripped up last month.
But now Saudi Arabian media are claiming he has penned a deal with Al Nassr to keep him at the club for the next two years.
The tweet from Al Arabiya states: “Al-Nassr Saudi Arabia officially contracts with Cristiano Ronaldo for two seasons.”
Ronaldo has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi ever since his United deal was terminated following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Earlier this month, there were reports of a £173-million-a-year deal being offered by a Saudi club to try and tempt Ronaldo to sign.
He has also been linked with Al-Hilal.
And during his interview with Morgan, Ronaldo confirmed he had turned down £3m per week to play in Saudi.
When pressed on how difficult it was to turn down a figure that high, he then added: “It’s hard. It’s hard. But in the same way, I thought that I was very happy here; that I [am] still capable to score goals and make people happy.
“I still believe that I can score many many goals and help the team because I still believe that I’m still good and capable to help national team – even Manchester United.
“But if you don’t feel around you that the energy’s on your side, it’s difficult. Of course, the criticism is gonna exists all the time. Ah he’s 37, he’s not the same.
“But I want to see if some guy of my age maintain the level that I show. You’re not gonna teach me that. Nobody is gonna teach me that.”
Al Nassr currently sit second in the Saudi Pro League table after seven wins from their opening 10 games.
A return to Sporting Lisbon was muted as another potential destination for the Portugal legend, before it was quashed by a club chief.
And he had also recently been training with former club Real Madrid, although a second stint at the Bernabeu always appeared unlikely.
Ronaldo’s last match came at the World Cup when he was brought off the bench in Portugal’s quarter-final defeat to Morocco.
Despite his 38th birthday coming up in January, he seems set to continue with the national team until Euro 2024.
That is despite a difficult season so far – with just three goals for United in 16 appearances.
He then managed just one more at the World Cup before being dropped for the knockout stages.
But Ronaldo’s form was positive earlier this year when he bagged a number of goals to finish with a tally of 24 for the 2021/22 campaign.
However, his struggles in recent months have now ended up with him looking for a move outside of Europe – despite Morgan previously reporting that he was keen to keep playing Champions League football.
Morgan told the Telegraph: “He thinks that if he does well at this World Cup, he’ll get what he really wants, which is a club in the Champions League that extends his record and his legacy.
“It’s not about money at this stage of his career.
“It comes down to a burning desire to play football at the highest level, to break records and win trophies.
“And he has done that in more countries than any other player in history.”
SOURCE: thesun.co.uk
