Al-Nassr wants to extend the current contract of their crown jewel, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Riyadh-based club aims to renew the current deal to 2026 in order to continue building its footprint on the international stage within the sport.
Cristiano Ronaldo has entered the twilight of his career, as he turns 39 in five months. Back in 2022, he openly admitted that he did not have that many years left in him. Also, there are growing speculations that Ronaldo might retire from the international stage after the Euro 2024 in Germany next year.
šØLatest: Al Nassr management wants to extend Ronaldoās contract until 2026. The club wants the legend to stay for as long as possible. pic.twitter.com/eQNyKFD4jD
ā CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) September 24, 2023
Extending the contract to 2026 would require the Portuguese star to continue playing in his 40s, which might be unrealistic for the majority of modern athletes. However, the management of Al-Nassr wants the Portuguese icon to stay with the club as long as possible, given the success that he has brought to the club in such a short period of time.
Al-Nassr’s global footprint has grown astronomically since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo. In terms of on-the-field performances, Ronaldo has scored 23 goals and seven assists in only 27 matches. The impact of Ronaldo on both fronts has prompted the club to look for an extension.
Current contract of Cristiano Ronaldo with Al-Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Saudi Club in 2023 after ending his second stint with Manchester United after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Ronaldo signed a deal with Al-Nassr until 2025 with a record package of $215 Million per season. The salary component of the deal is worth $75 Million per season, while the rest of the package consists of image rights, commercial deals, and participation in the Saudi Arabia 2030 vision project.
15 goals, 5 assists in 14 games this season.
“š¼š§š š®š¤šŖ š£š¤š© šš£š©šš§š©ššš£šš?” š„¶ pic.twitter.com/zrIMFLV6psā TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) September 24, 2023
Al-Nassr can afford to pay this mind-boggling sum of money due to its financial backing from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The contract extension is expected to be straightforward for the club due to the backing of the investment fund.
Saudi clubs stirred up the recent transfer window with their audacious spending for some of the biggest European talents. It has been speculated that another Saudi Club, Al-Ittihad will try to lure Mohamed Salah away from Liverpool next summer to make him the highest-paid player in the league.
Cristiano Ronaldo would be hoping that Al-Nassr offers improved terms in the renewal offer, which would safeguard his place as the highest-paid player in the league.
A return to Europe is off for the Portuguese, as he recently revealed that he won’t be returning to any European club. The statement squashed online speculations that Ronaldo would be open to return to Sporting Lisbon to end his career where it started.