Cristiano Ronaldo wants to join a Champions League in January despite being caught in a transfer tug of war between two Saudi Arabian clubs, claims Piers Morgan.
The Portuguese superstar ended his relationship with Manchester United by mutual consent last week, following his bombshell interview with Morgan. However, any decision on a new club is unlikely to be swift as he has switched fully to international mode and is aiming to break multiple different World Cup records.
Despite Morgan’s claim, leading European clubs have distanced themselves from a move including Real Madrid – where the striker is the all-time club record scorer – who have no interest in a sensational return for Ronaldo. Sporting Lisbon have also distanced themselves from a Ronaldo return alongside Bayern Munich.
The latest report of a move suggests that Saudi club Al Hilal have submitted a transfer proposal to the striker to rival an earlier bid made by their domestic rivals Al Nassr. The nation’s Sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal already told Sky News that he would welcome Ronaldo’s arrival to the domestic league.
Interest from Al Nassr had already been established as they had already submitted an offer to Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes. Over the duration of that contract offer, Ronaldo would have played past his 40 th birthday, the veteran would earn £172.9million per year - an amount that would not be feasible for any European or MLS clubs interested in a move for the striker, split between his playing contract and marketing obligations.
However, Morgan – who now appears to be somewhat of a confidant of Ronaldo’s – has downplayed the suggestions that the 37-year-old will be making a move to the Middle East by insisting he wants to continue playing at the top level of European football.
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“He thinks that if he does well at this World Cup, he’ll get what he really wants,” Morgan told The Telegraph. “Which is a club in the Champions League that extends his record and his legacy.
“It’s not about money at this stage of his career. It comes down to a burning desire to play football at the highest level, to break records and win trophies. And he has done that in more countries than any other player in history.”
Ronaldo was the highest paid player in the Premier League prior to his departure last week and few European clubs will be likely to fund his arrival onto their wage bill. Furthermore, even fewer clubs at the Champions League level would consider incorporating Ronaldo, who will celebrate his 38 th birthday in February, into the starting line-up.
