"Happens to all players, Messi may discover this" - Rivaldo makes incredible Cristiano Ronaldo transfer claim

Rivaldo reckons Cristiano Ronaldo made a mistake by moving to Saudi Arabia and has warned Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi against doing the same.

Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr on a free transfer last December, a month after leaving Manchester United. He thus became the highest-paid player in the world, earning £173 million a year.

However, the Portuguese icon is reportedly already considering leaving the Riyadh-based club. There are suggestions that he and his partner Georgina Rodriguez would like to return to Spain, with a sensational return to Real Madrid mooted as an option.

Rivaldo, meanwhile, has said that Ronaldo is starting to realize that money is not everything. The former Barcelona attacker also warned Messi against moving to Saudi Arabia amidst claims of a potential transfer to Al-Hilal.

"There are rumors indicating that Cristiano Ronaldo is not happy in Saudi Arabia and may already be thinking about a move this summer," Rivaldo wrote in his Betfair column. "Betfair make Real Madrid the favorites to sign him. I understand that sometimes players go there to sign the big money contracts, but life over there is more closed and football isn't always as easy as you'd hope."

"He may be going through a phase of disappointment and even pondering whether the money he's getting makes up for the not so happy life he seems to be leading at the moment. This happens to all players - Messi may discover this should he move to Saudi."

Rivaldo added that he would like to see Ronaldo return to Real Madrid.

"So it would be nice for football to see Ronaldo return to Real Madrid to perhaps finish his career. Of course, the fans need to understand that they won't be able to demand the same from him as when he was 25-26 years old. But he can still help the club win more titles before he retires."

Ronaldo has bagged 12 goals and two assists in 15 games across competitions for Al-Nassr so far.

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Could Lionel Messi follow Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia?

It remains to be seen if Cristiano Ronaldo will seek a move away from Al-Nassr this summer. Meanwhile, he could rekindle his rivalry with Lionel Messi if he stays in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Arabian government is keen to convince the Argentinian to move to the Middle Eastern country when his contract with PSG ends. There are claims that they are prepared to offer him a deal worth £320 million a year to join a Saudi Pro League club.