"There's more to it" - Saudi Pro League general manager throws Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr future in fresh doubt with honest admission

Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Al-Nassr has been thrown into doubt following bold statements from Saudi Pro League (SPL) general manager Mohammed Basrawi. The latter recently claimed that the SPL were focused on raising the level of all 18 clubs by developing young Saudi and foreign stars.

Ronaldo transformed the SPL when he joined Al-Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year deal in January 2023. The 40-year-old's arrival saw millions of football fans introduced to the league, and numerous big stars from Europe followed in his footsteps.

While Cristiano Ronaldo remains arguably the SPL's most pivotal icon, he is currently on course to leave the Knights of Najd as a free agent this summer. Despite reports of a one-year extension, no official announcement has been made yet.

Basrawi recently admitted that his priority remained developing younger talent over prioritizing Ronaldo's future. He told MARCA (via GOAL):

"Cristiano isn't just a football player; he's already a celebrity, a brand in himself, followed by fans all over the world. But the strategy isn't just about them, as important as they are, but also about the rest of the clubs and players. Stars come and go, and fans come and go with them. Cristiano's challenge is a challenge, but there's more to it."

He added:

"The challenge is not only to focus on the big names, but to go beyond that and raise the level of all clubs, not just the big four or five... We have two strategies: developing young Saudi talent and attracting young players from abroad. In the last transfer window, we saw that the signings were younger. The average age was 23.4. And that's the challenge: for a 23-year-old who has only played for one major club in Europe to choose the Saudi League at that age to develop."

Over the past two years, the PIF-backed quartet of Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, and Al-Hilal have been handed higher transfer budgets compared to other SPL sides, leading to a large gap in quality in the league.

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How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared for Al-Nassr this season?

Despite facing an uncertain future in the Middle East, Cristiano Ronaldo has shown no signs of stopping this season and remains one of the most consistent superstars for Al-Nassr.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 28 goals and provided four assists in 33 appearances across all competitions this term. His side remain in the running for the Saudi Pro League title and AFC Champions League, but have already been knocked out of the Saudi Super Cup and King Cup of Champions.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are third in the league table with 51 points from 25 games, 10 points behind leaders Al-Ittihad. They next face rivals Al-Hilal in the SPL on April 4.