Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly failed out on his bid to make a return to Real Madrid before signing the two-and-a-half-year contract offered by Al-Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo sent social media buzzing after Al-Nassr confirmed him as the club’s new player.
His move to Al -Nassr generated reactions. It was unfathomable that a player of his pedigree would hit such lows and end a heroic career with a fairytale move to an obscure football league off the shores of Europe.
Also, both fans and pundits did not imagine missing Cristiano Ronaldo from any top club in the top five leagues in Europe.
After Manchester United terminated his contract, it was expected thet Cristiano Ronaldo would scout for a new club since he has already reiterated he is not ready to hang boot.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo faced a dilemma. As much as he still wanted to ply his trade in Europe’s elite divisions, offers did not come from Europe.
Recall that after Manchester United failed to qualify for the Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo asked to be allowed to leave the club.
He wanted to play Champions League football and was hoping to land offers from top European clubs.
After Cristiano Ronaldo fell out with Manchester United leading to a mutual termination of his contract, he still reportedly hoped to continue his career in Europe.
However, he became available as a free agent. This perfectly limited his choices, giving him fewer options when the offer from Al-Nassr arrived.
According to reports, Cristiano Ronaldo was hoping for a Real Madrid return after his Manchester United contract was ripped apart.
After the 2022 World Cup, he trained at Real Madrid’s training facility, and the club openly received him to the training facility.
However, the 2022 Champions League winners were not keen on resigning Cristiano Ronaldo.
A fan once asked club president Florentino Perez if he could resign Cristiano Ronaldo. Perez’s response was brutal. He replied, “Cristiano? Again? At 38?”
The Portuguese forward’s switch to the Saudi outfit was announced on December 30, 2022. He penned a deal worth £173m per year after his explosive exit from Manchester United earlier in November.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of Real Madrid’s legends. He previously joined the team in 2009. After his 9 years spell with the La Liga giant, he became the club’s record goal-scorer with 450 goals in 438 games – helping the Spanish side to two league titles, two Copa del Rey, four Champions Leagues, and a host of other trophies.
Al-Nassr was definitely not Cristiano Ronaldo’s first choice after his Manchester United exit.
Recall he admitted that he turned down an offer from the same country when he wanted to leave Manchester United due to lack of Champions League football. Now, the Portuguese had to settle with Al-Nassr due to limited options after his contract was terminated.
Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag also responded bluntly when asked about Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr.
Speaking after Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Wolves, Erik Ten Hag refused to comment on the move saying Ronaldo belongs to the past, but he is interested in the future.
Cristiano Ronaldo will stay Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabian league till 2025, with the Saudi club hoping to build his iconic status to promote Saudi Arabian football.
