Transfer Centre

Cristiano Ronaldo 'close to agreeing £173m-a-year deal with Al-Nassr'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 30 November 2022

Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr are close to coming to an agreement with Cristiano Ronaldo over a contract worth £173m a year, according to a report.

Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly on the verge of coming to an agreement with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr over a deal worth in the region of £173m a year.

The 37-year-old recently had his contract at Manchester United terminated following the explosive interview that he gave to Piers Morgan on TalkTV.

Ronaldo initially told the Red Devils last summer that he wanted to leave in order to continue playing Champions League football, but he remained at Old Trafford past the transfer deadline.

The Portugal international is now free to move to another club, and it had been thought that he wanted to remain in European football for at least one more season.

Sporting Lisbon and Chelsea are among the clubs to be linked with the experienced forward, but the speculation surrounding a move to Saudi Arabia has gathered pace in recent days.

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo in action against Ghana at the World Cup on November 24, 2022 © Reuters

Saudi Arabia's Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal recently said that he "would love" Ronaldo to make the move to the country to continue his football career.

"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," he told BBC Sport.

Al-Hilal have been heavily linked with the forward, who told Morgan that he turned down a two-year deal worth just over £300m to move to Saudi Arabia over the summer.

"It's true, yes it's true (offer from Saudi Arabia)... but what the press keeping saying, the garbage that nobody wants me, which is completely wrong," he said.

According to Marca, Ronaldo is now close to ending the speculation surrounding his future, as he prepares to sign a huge contract with Al-Nassr.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo during training on November 14, 2022 © Reuters

The report claims that the deal will run for two-and-a-half years and will be worth £173m per year, making it comfortably the largest football contract of all time.

Al-Nassr have won the Saudi Professional League on nine occasions, with their last title coming in 2019.

The Saudi side are currently managed by Frenchman Rudi Garcia, who has previously been in charge of the likes of Lille, Roma, Marseille and Lyon.

Ronaldo is currently focused on the 2022 World Cup, and he became the first men's player to score in five World Cups when he struck in Portugal's competition opener against Ghana on November 24.

The forward claimed that he had also registered against Uruguay on Monday night, but Portugal's first of the match was awarded to Bruno Fernandes, with it ultimately being decided that Ronaldo did not make contact on his teammate's cross into the box.