Aheed Abrar
Saudi Arabian Football Federation president on bringing Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo to the Middle East
Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo had two offers on the table from the Middle East this summer. And getting the Portuguese is still a dream of Yasser Al-Misehal, the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).
Ronaldo was angling for a move away from the club this summer. And the five-time Ballon d’Or winner saw interest from the Saudi league. An unnamed club offered him £2 million per week while another proposal could have seen him pocket £211 million per year.
Speaking to The Athletic (Subscription Required) [h/t Mirror], Al-Misehal did not rule out the possibility of Ronaldo one day coming to the Saudi league.
“We would love to see a player like Cristiano Ronaldo playing in the Saudi league, it would bring a huge positive feedback and it would be big news for everyone.
“I think, ‘Why not?’, I’m sure it would be a very expensive deal, of course, but we can see our clubs getting higher revenues in the past couple of years.
“I like Cristiano Ronaldo as a player and I would like to see him play in Saudi Arabia.”
Ronaldo missed most of the pre-season under Erik ten Hag. The Portugal international offered himself to top European clubs such as Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid. However, in the end, the 37-year-old remained in Manchester.
While Saudi clubs approached him, Ronaldo wanted Champions League football. Thus, he turned down the massive offers from Saudi Arabia.
However, now, the proposition from Saudi seems to be more appealing to the forward. Ronaldo has played a bit-part role under Erik ten Hag this season. As a result, the Portuguese has had to be content with a place on the bench on most occasions.
Ronaldo started just one game for United in the Premier League, which was the 4-0 defeat to Brentford. His other start has come in the Europa League against Real Sociedad, which, again, the Red Devils lost.
The gaffer has preferred other options up front. Marcus Rashford has been chosen to play the centre-forward role. And United have gone on a good run in the league, currently on a four-game win streak.
More Manchester United News
- Manuel Akanji admits he was a Manchester United fan growing up
- Tim Vickery gives verdict on Manchester United midfielder Casemiro amidst criticism from Graeme Souness
- Barcelona willing to part ways with Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong in the January transfer window
Ronaldo has, over the years, been one of the best players in the world. It remains to be seen whether his situation changes in the coming months. If not, what the Portuguese decides in January will be fascinating to witness.
