Many fans believe Al-Nassr's decision to terminate Vincent Aboubakar's contract to make room for Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad will come back to haunt the Saudi Arabian club.
Ronaldo had his contract with Manchester United terminated by mutual agreement in November following a controversial interview in which he criticized the club. After weeks of uncertainty, he joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on a free transfer, signing a deal until 2025 last month.
However, the five-time Ballon d'Or award winner is yet to make his debut for the Middle Eastern outfit. He is currently serving a suspension for smashing an Everton fan's phone as a Manchester United player in April last year.
Al-Aalami had also seemingly not completed the Portuguese icon's registration. According to reports, they have decided to terminate Aboubakar's contract to make their latest signing eligible to play for them.
The Cameroon international has been on the Saudi Arabian club's books since joining them on a free transfer from Besiktas in 2021. He has a contract with them until the summer of 2024, but is now forced to leave the team prematurely.
Many fans are not on board with Al-Nassr's decision to terminate Aboubakar's contract prematurely. Several supporters believe he is currently a better player than the former Real Madrid superstar. One fan wrote on Twitter:
"At the moment Aboubakar is a better player than Ronaldo. That is a stond cold fact."
Another frustrated supporter wrote:
"Aboubakar is far much better than Ronaldo. His goal against Brazil at the world cup was a master class and he was a star at the AFCON and a very good captain for his country."
Here are some more reactions to Al-Nassr's decision to ax Aboubakar, who has recently been linked with Manchester United, to make room for Ronaldo:
When is Ronaldo likely to make his debut for Al-Nassr?
The 37-year-old will miss the team's upcoming Saudi Pro League match against Al-Shabab due to suspension. He is thus likely to make his debut for them in their next league game against Ettifaq on January 22.
However, the forward's first match on Saudi Arabian soil could come even before, according to the club's manager Rudi Garcia. The player could feature in an exhibition match against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) next week.
Les Parisiens are scheduled to play a friendly against an all-star XI, consisting of players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal on January 19. Garcia has confirmed that the Portugal captain will feature in the match.