Cristiano Ronaldo will let his 2½-year contract at Al-Nassr expire. Sources at the Saudi Arabian club told ESPN that reports of a clause allowing Ronaldo to join Newcastle United on loan if they qualify for next season’s Champions League were “fake”.
Ronaldo, who turns 38 on February 5, will be officially unveiled as an Al Nassr player on Tuesday (11am ET) at 7pm local time at the club’s Msool Park stadium.
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The Portugal captain has become football’s highest-paid player on a $75million-a-year deal after mutually terminating his contract with Manchester United following a series of disciplinary issues at the club.
After trying to leave United in the summer to sign for a team competing in the Champions League, a report in Spain claimed that Ronaldo only agreed to play for Al-Nassr after a clause in his contract which would allow him to leave for Newcastle, which is majority owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The report also falsely claimed that Al-Nassr was also owned by PIF.
Sources in Newcastle dismissed the suggestion that the club have the option to sign Ronaldo if they qualify for the Champions League, while a source at Al-Nassr told ESPN the story was “all wrong”.
Al-Nassr will play Al Taee at home on Thursday but sources said Ronaldo’s debut will most likely come in the away game against Riyadh rivals Al Shabab on January 14.