Cristiano Ronaldo has denied rumours that he will sign a €200 million ($210 million) a season contract to play for Saudi club Al Nassr in January, telling reporters that the claims are “not true.”
After quitting Manchester United this month following a shocking conversation with UK TV personality Piers Morgan, Ronaldo, 37, is currently without a club.
This week, the Spanish newspaper Marca announced that Ronaldo had made up his mind about his future and would begin playing for the Saudi team Al Nassr on January 1.
The forward reportedly reached an agreement on a two and a half-year contract that would pay him a signing-on fee of over €100 million before an annual salary of nearly €200 million.
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But Ronaldo refuted the rumours in a statement following Portugal’s 6-1 victory against Switzerland in the World Cup’s round of 16 on Tuesday in Qatar, where he was benched for the substitutes.
When queried about the alleged Saudi move, the actor responded, “No, that’s not real – not true.
This week, TV host Morgan also asserted that Marca’s reports weren’t accurate. Ronaldo’s explosive chat with Morgan expedited his departure from Old Trafford.
The offer from Al Nassr, according to ESPN, is “the best and only” one that Ronaldo is considering, but he has not made up his mind and is still concentrating on Portugal’s World Cup campaign.
Ronaldo is still waiting for an offer from a major European club with the hopes of playing Champions League football, according to Italian transfer expert Nicolo Schira.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner does not have a financial hardship, according to Schira, and Jorge Mendes, his agent, is “working to try to find a solution in Europe.”
For Portugal’s match against Switzerland in the round of 16, manager Fernando Santos benched Ronaldo, who watched as his stand-in Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick.
At Lusail Stadium, Ronaldo made his debut in the 73rd minute and immediately scored, but the goal was immediately disallowed for offside.
Before heading into the tunnel, the Portugal captain acknowledged the crowd for a brief moment. His teammates stayed on the field.
