Ronaldo ‘signs mega deal with Al-Nassr’ worth £350m after Man Utd exit

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly signed a deal with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr worth £350m over two years. The forward mutually terminated his contract with Manchester United prior to the World Cup following several issues at the club that saw him fall out of favour.

According to Al Alarabiya, Ronaldo agreed to pen a two-year contract with Al-Nassr on Friday following talks with the club. The forward bided his time over the international break to consider his options, though now appears to have settled for a stint in Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo was keen to leave United for a European club in the summer, though no offers arrived despite his agent, Jorge Mendes, approaching numerous clubs. Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid were amongst those to have held talks about the 37-year-old, though his options soon became limited when no concrete offers arrived.

Thus, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has reportedly settled for becoming one of the highest-paid players in football history. Reports have circulated previously that Al-Nassr had offered Ronaldo a £175million-per-year contract, with the Middle Eastern side intending to make the ex-Real Madrid star the ‘face’ of the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo left United on a sour note earlier this year after a year-and-a-half of controversy at Old Trafford. The striker shone last season, scoring 18 goals in 30 Premier League appearances, though consistently cut a frustrated figure – with it quickly becoming apparent that he would not be able to single-handedly guide the Red Devils up the table.

Stories of Ronaldo causing internal divides circulated, as well as the former Juventus star approaching the manager to request players are dropped. Though the final straw for the higher powers at United came earlier this year after the once-adored club legend fell out of favour with Erik ten Hag.

After a blockbuster interview with Piers Morgan that saw the forward admit he has no respect for the manager before criticising the Glazers for their lack of ‘sporting’ knowledge, all parties decided it was best to cut ties.

Ronaldo will be hoping for more success with Al-Nassr, who registered their interest in the Portugal international over the summer but were forced to be patient with their approach. CBS Sport has reported that the transfer will be officially announced on Saturday after the club play Al-Khaleej. His supposed new side are currently two points off of the top spot, and a victory would see them leapfrog league leaders Al-Shabab and reclaim their league leader status.