Cristiano Ronaldo threatens Saudi exit, feels 'betrayed' over recent transfer business in league
His former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema moved from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal, but a lack of moves by his own club, Al-Nassr, has the superstar questioning his future
By
James Benge
•
2 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo has warned senior figures in the Saudi Pro League that he is prepared to leave the country over his dissatisfaction with recent transfer business in the competition, according to CBS Sports sources.
Ronaldo missed Al-Nassr's 1-0 win over Al-Riyadh on Monday with CBS Sports reporting that the 41-year-old was angered by the decision of PIF, who own four of the country's leading clubs, to transfer star player Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal at a time when his squad was not strengthened.
At the time, it was hoped that Ronaldo could be swiftly brought back into the fold, and the striker has returned to training. However, his dissatisfaction has only grown with a source close to Al-Nassr telling CBS Sports that Ronaldo feels "betrayed" and is now open to bringing his three-year stay in Saudi Arabia to an end.
The same source suggested it will require intervention by senior figures within sovereign wealth fund PIF to offer Ronaldo assurances over the future of his club and the Pro League. Ronaldo is yet to win that competition since his departure from Manchester United and his chances of doing so this season likely diminished when Benzema, who had grown unsatisfied at Al-Ittihad, moved to league leaders Al-Hilal and extended his contract by 12 months to the summer of 2027.
That is the same year in which Ronaldo's sizeable contract at Al-Nassr expires. If he were to leave early, it could afford him the opportunity to end his career where it began with Portuguese giants Sporting. Leading clubs in Turkey might also offer Ronaldo a chance to extend his career, and there has been a notable trend for business between the Pro League and Super Lig in recent weeks. His contract includes a $59 million (€50 million) release clause.
Ronaldo had been expected to return to the Al-Nassr side for Friday's game against Al-Ittihad but that is now a matter of greater speculation with some believing he may look to make his point even more visibly to PIF by sitting out more matches. That could afford Al-Hilal a chance to extend their lead at the top of the Pro League. His signing is already paying dividends with the Ballon d'Or winner scoring a debut hat trick against Al-Akhdoud, while also adding an assist.
Though Ronaldo is unhappy to see his rivals sign Benzema, it should be noted that that deal was not funded by the PIF or the Pro League and instead by billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Though Al-Nassr did not make the same splashy acquisitions of their title rivals in January —former Arsenal defender Pablo Mari joining $17 million of Saudi talent — they did invest heavily in the summer, signing Kingsley Coman and Joao Felix.
