Manchester United terminated Christiano Ronaldo’s contract with mutual consent and is effective immediately.
Cristiano Ronaldo appears bound for Saudi Arabia.
The 37-year-old Portuguese icon reportedly has agreed to sign with Al-Nassr FC of the Saudi Pro League, according to Ben Jacobs and James Benge of CBS Sports. The deal would see his salary hit $75 million a year.
Al-Nassr, currently near the top of the Saudi Pro League table, plan to announce the move after Saturday's game against Al-Khaleej.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
The contract is expected to last two-and-a-half years and will expire on June 2025, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano. Commercial deals could increase his annual salary to 200 million euros, Romano added.
This move comes after Ronaldo had his contract terminated by long-time club Manchester United in mid-November, just before the 2022 FIFA World Cup began.
Sports
Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.
Ronaldo, who mustered just one goal and no assists in 10 English Premier League games leading up to the termination, didn't have a change of fortune in Qatar, either. His lone goal in five appearances, two as a substitute in the knockout rounds, came on a penalty kick in the Group H opener against Ghana.
Despite what has become a turbulent chapter in Ronaldo's storied career, his status as one of the sport's greatest ever player remains intact, having lifted five Ballon d'Or's, three EPL titles, five UEFA Champions League trophies and countless other accolades across Europe.
Ronaldo had hoped to stay in Europe and compete for a team currently participating in the Champions League, but that no longer appears to be the case.
