Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly set to commit to a seven-year contract at Al-Nassr, which includes an increase in his €200m pay packet after 2024.
WHAT'S HAPPENING? It was initially reported during the World Cup that Al-Nassr had reached an agreement to sign Ronaldo, who has been a free agent since seeing his contract at Manchester United terminated on November 22. It was said that the 37-year-old will sign a two-year deal with the Saudi outfit, but according to Marca, that agreement is now set to run through to 2030. The Spanish publication states that Ronaldo will become take on an ambassador role at Al-Nassr after his playing career at the club ends in 2024, at which point he will also see his €200m-per-year wages rise periodically.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Marca has also reported that when Ronaldo becomes an Al-Nassr ambassador, he will play a key role in helping Saudi Arabia's bid for 2030 World Cup hosting duties alongside Egypt and Greece.
AND WHAT'S MORE: Ronaldo publicly denied an agreement with Al-Nassr after Portugal's 6-1 round of 16 victory over Switzerland at the World Cup, and the club have also refused to be drawn on any negotiations. However, Al-Nassr boss Rudi Garcia has admitted he would welcome the chance to coach the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. "I think that any coach would be delighted to train a great star like Cristiano. I have always thought that the great players are the easiest to manage because they are very intelligent," Garcia said earlier this month.
What next for Ronaldo?
The football world will now await confirmation on Ronaldo's next move, with Al-Nassr in pole position to win the race for his signature. However, the Portugal captain has previously suggested he would like to remain in Europe, and the likes of Napoli and Bayern Munich have been mooted as alternative destinations.
By James Westwood
