WA quiet week seemed to start with a shocking turn of events. Cristiano Ronaldo refused to play against Al Nasr in Monday’s match against Al Riyadh. His teammates won 1-0 without him, but the controversy was far from over.
The reason for his protest was his disagreement with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund’s recruitment policy, which he claimed was detrimental to Al Nasr. This led to rumors of a potential break with the club, with Manchester United re-emerging as an option for CR7, but it appears the Red Devils have made their decision.
Will CR7 return to United?
After canceling his contract with the Manchester club and signing a contract with an estimated annual salary of more than 200 million yen, Ronaldo signed with Al Nasr in December 2022, making him the highest-paid player in the world. Moreover, the Portuguese player renewed his contract with the Saudi club in 2025 until mid-2027, but the story could be different.
The final tribulation was Karim Benzema’s transfer from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal, as the ‘Knights of Najd’ could only add Iraqi midfielder Haider Abdulkarem, leading to his absence from Al Nasr’s recent victory.
“Cristiano believes that the PIF (Investment Fund) is interfering with Al Nasr’s signing in order to prevent the team from winning the title,” reports the Record.
Following CR7’s absence from games, there have been rumors that the Portuguese star is considering new directions, including a third move to Manchester United, where he has already added to his trophy cabinet with three Premier League titles and several titles, including the Champions League, in red shirts from 2003-2009 and 2021-2022.
However, according to teamTALK, the English club are not considering reuniting with their former star, let alone bringing him back this summer.
“Ronaldo, who turns 41 on Thursday, has been linked with a fantasy return to Old Trafford in the Spanish press. The player is already ‘in talks’ over a move and amid reports the veteran star is willing to ‘sacrifice wages’ to secure a third spell at Manchester United…Yet despite this, Old Trafford bosses have made it clear that a sensational reunion is not on the table,” the report confirms.
The truth is that the 40-year-old’s contract includes a clause that allows him to leave in June 2026. However, Manchester United will not be an option for the Portuguese if he intends to leave Al Nasr.
This refusal came almost three years after Cristiano left the club, strongly criticizing the direction of the franchise in an interview with Piers Morgan.
However, reports suggest that while the two sides continue to have deep respect for each other, the club would like to focus more on prioritizing future superstars rather than overpaying for an established name in football like Cristiano.
Meanwhile, the reason for the Portuguese player’s absence from the game against Al Riyadh was not due to an injury or a technical decision, but rather a personal protest, and it remains to be seen whether the club will decide to punish him. Despite this, CR7 remains the team’s top scorer with 17 goals this season, but it remains to be seen whether he will return for the important match against Al Ittihad scheduled for February 6th.
