RONALDO TO JOIN SAUDI CLUB FOR $210 MN?

According to a Madrid-based newspaper, football star Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, who left Manchester United, reportedly received a $210 million annual pay offer from a Saudi club.

The contract amount is more than twice as much as any of the highest paid athletes' salaries in 2022, such as those of NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford ($72 million) and boxer Canelo Alvarez ($84 million).

Al Nassr, the team supposedly wanting to take Ronaldo under their wing, is one of the more successful clubs in Saudi Arabia, even if the Saudi Pro League (SPL) is not regarded as one of the top football leagues in the world.

After winning nine Premier League titles, six King's Cups, three Crown Prince's Cups, three Federation Cups, and two Saudi Super Cups, the team is currently in second place in the league right now. The club has its base in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

Ronaldo, who has 819 goals for his country and has won the Champions League five times, has not yet responded to the rumoured offer, despite a number of clubs expressing interest in signing him.

Ronaldo was reportedly involved in a dispute with football manager Fernando Santos as word spread that he would be offered a position with Al-Nassr.

Ronaldo yelled after being replaced during the team's last 2022 FIFA World Cup group stage game against South Korea. On Friday, South Korea defeated Portugal 2-1.

In response to what appeared to be an insult from a South Korean player, Cho Gue-sung, Ronaldo allegedly instructed the player to "shut up," according to a New York outlet. Santos expressed displeasure with Ronaldo's behaviour during the game but didn't appear very concerned by the issue, saying: "It was sorted out this way and now we think about the game."

After openly criticising the team in an interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo had his contract with Manchester United terminated last month.

The Glazer family, who owned the team, did not care about the club, according to Ronaldo, who claimed he had "no respect" for manager Erik ten Hag.

The athlete claimed that he and United had "mutually agreed" to cancel their contract early even though it still had around $16 million remaining in it and was set to expire in June.