Saudi Arabian media have claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo has officially signed a two-year deal with Al Nassr FC. The 37-year-old Portuguese was heavily linked with the club for a while.
The former Real Madrid player was without a club after his contract with Manchester United was mutually terminated last month as a result of an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored 27 goals in 55 games during his second stint at the Red Devils. However, the tenure came to a bitter end after the five-time Ballon d'Or winner didn't feature regularly in Erik ten Hag's plans, and his interview with Piers Morgan served as the final nail in the coffin.
Cristiano Ronaldo played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup as a free agent. A good performance would have helped him secure a move to a top European club, something Ronaldo was keen for. However, he scored only one goal in Qatar.
Al Nassr president previously denied Cristiano Ronaldo rumors
Al Nassr president Musli Al-Muammar denied rumors a few days ago that the club was close to signing Cristiano Ronaldo. He said (via MSN):
"The news coming out is not correct, most of what has been written or said in the media are lies."
The club's sporting director Marcelo Salazar previously stated:
"I am not authorized to say yes or no regarding this matter. Let's wait and see how things develop. As you can easily understand, this is a negotiation of an enormous magnitude not only for the club, but for the country and for world soccer, and one that must be conducted by higher bodies."
He also added:
"What I can say is that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best footballers in the history of soccer. He has always been an example for everyone as an athlete, because of the desire he has to win. Also, as a Portuguese citizen, I have always cheered for him. But when the time is right, the future will reveal itself."
After netting against Ghana on the opening matchday, Ronaldo's form started to fade. He was even benched in Fernando Santos' team's knockout games against Switzerland and Morocco. A 1-0 defeat to Morocco sealed Portugal's elimination.
Al Nassr was heavily interested in tying the legendary attacker down on a lucrative long-term contract. If the aforementioned reports are true, the Saudi Arabian side will be Ronaldo's future club.