Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has joined a team in Saudi Arabia after signing a staggering £173 MILLION A YEAR deal following his bitter departure from Manchester United.
The 37-year-old Portugal international left Manchester United last month on the eve of the World Cup. It came after an explosive TV interview with Piers Morgan - which saw Ronaldo claim he felt betrayed by the club and did not respect manager Erik ten Hag.
He has signed with Saudi side Al Nassr in a deal which will make him one of the highest paid sports stars of all time. The full deal is believed to run over seven years in total - with Ronaldo taking on an ambassadorial role once he hangs up his boots. Adding up his reported £173million deal over that time would see him coin it in to the tune of £1.2 billion over the course of that contract.
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A statement from the club on Friday night read: "This is more than history in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome, Cristiano, to your new home."
After the signing was confirmed, Ronaldo added: "Al Nassr's vision is very inspiring and impressive. I look forward to a different league experience in a different country. I am excited to join my team-mates as soon as possible."
Al-Nassr currently sit at the top of the Saudi Pro League, having won seven of their opening 10 matches, conceding just six goals in the process. Ronaldo will join current stars at the club including Cameroon's Vincent Aboubakar and Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina.
The mega-money move comes after the Portuguese star left Manchester United by mutual agreement in November. In his interview with Morgan on his TalkTV show, Ronaldo said that he did not respect Ten Hag and claimed "zero progress" had been made at the club since he left for Real Madrid in 2009.
A statement from the club read: "Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect. The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.
"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."
Ronaldo issued his own statement following the bombshell announcement, writing: "Following conversations with Manchester United, we have mutually agreed to end our contract early.
"I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge. I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future."
The five-time Ballon D'or winner was left heartbroken at the World Cup in Qatar as his Portugal side were beaten 1-0 by Morocco in the quarter-finals. Ronaldo stormed off the pitch in tears having been left on the bench for much of the game, but issued a statement following the devastating loss saying he will "never turn his back" on his country.
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