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Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly keen on extending his stay with the Saudi Pro League outfit after an impressive first year at the club. The Portuguese forward is about midway through his contract, which is set to run through June 2025.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Al Nassr in January 2023 following the mutual termination of his contract at Manchester United months earlier. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner arrived in Saudi as the trendsetter in the country's bid to attract some of the biggest names in world football.
Since his arrival at Al Nassr, Ronaldo has hit the ground running and is happy in the country, as his son Cristiano Jr is also with the club. The youngster is signed to their academy, where he plays in the U-13 team.
According to reports from Saudi Arabian journalist AbdelAziz Al Osimi, Cristiano Ronaldo is keen on signing a contract extension at the club to keep him there for longer. The 38-year-old saw his side finish second behind Al Ittihad in his first season at the club, and they are currently second on the log.
Ronaldo has recaptured his best goalscoring form since his arrival at the club, and he ended 2023 as the player with the most goals, having scored 54 times for club and country. This season, he has already scored 20 league goals and provided nine assists in just 18 appearances for Al Nassr.
Off the pitch, the forward has had just the impact expected of him by the Saudi authorities when they sanctioned his signing. With his influence, many of Europe's top players, such as Neymar, Ruben Neves, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, and others now ply their trade in the Saudi League.
Cristiano Ronaldo nearing full fitness ahead of season resumption
Al Nassr have been without captain Cristiano Ronaldo for weeks, after he picked up an injury in training. The injury to the 38-year-old forced the club to cancel their planned mid-season tour of China, and ruled him out of the Riyadh Season Cup.
The club's manager Luis Castro has issued an update on the fitness of the forward, revealing that he is in the final stages of recovery from his injury. He is expected to return to team training in a matter of days.
“Cristiano is in the final stage of recovery. We expect him to return to the team in the coming days, so he will miss the match.”
Al Nassr will return to action in the AFC Champions League on February 14 with a Round of 16 clash against Al Feiha. They will then have the uphill task of trying to chase down runaway leaders Al Hilal in the second half of the Saudi Pro League season, who are seven points clear at the top.
