PL giants reject Cristiano Ronaldo led Al-Nassr's offer for 25-year-old defender - Reports

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly turned down an offer from Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al-Nassr for their 25-year-old defender Emerson Royal.

According to The Sun journalist Tom Barclay, the full-back is content at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He's shown his versatility by covering multiple defensive positions this season.

However, this isn't expected to stop the Saudi Arabian giants from making a new bid, as they could up the offer from the reported original £20 million.

Since joining Spurs from Barcelona in 2020 for nearly £26 million, Royal has made 95 appearances, contributing four goals and two assists. Although primarily a right-back, he has been pushed out of that position by Pedro Porro.

This hasn't stopped the Brazilian from actively helping his team. He has operated as a left-back and centre-back this season, particularly in situations when teammates were sidelined due to injuries or suspended.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are clearly pleased with Royal's performances for Spurs this season, where he has scored a goal in 16 Premier League games. They will be looking to entice him with an impressive offer. Meanwhile, Tottenham will likely be expecting a higher figure to let the defender leave their club this January.

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Cristiano Ronaldo questions Ballon d'Or and FIFA Best Awards' credibility

Cristiano Ronaldo has raised questions about the credibility of the Ballon d'Or and FIFA The Best awards, both of which were recently won by Lionel Messi. The Argentine legend secured a record-breaking eighth Ballon d'Or win, also snatching up the FIFA Best Male Player award in 2023.

However, Ronaldo believes these awards are losing their legitimacy. The legendary forward emerged as the top scorer in world football with an impressive 54 goals last year. Yet he wasn't included in the Ballon d'Or's top 30 or FIFA The Best.

Ronaldo told Record (via Mirror):

“It’s not to say that Messi didn’t deserve it, or Haaland or even Mbappe… but the numbers are there and the numbers don’t deceive. You have to consider the entire season."

The forward added:

"The numbers are facts. If you go back and see what happened at Manchester United and the national team, people actually considered me lost... But the truth is that I focused and had a great period at Al Nassr, that's why I scored 54 goals."

Lionel Messi's FIFA World Cup performance, where he led Argentina to victory after scoring twice in the final against France, arguably helped his wins in both awards. He also won the Golden Ball at the tournament.