Cristiano Ronaldo close to signing deal worth $207 million annually with soccer club in Saudi Arabia to become world sport's highest earner, according to reports
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Barnaby Lane
Nov 30, 2022, 20:48 IST
Cristiano Ronaldo.Getty/Francois Nel
Cristiano Ronaldo is close to signing with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, according to MARCA.
The club is said to have offered him a two-and-a-half year deal worth $207 million annually.
Ronaldo, 37, is currently without a club, released by Manchester United on November 22, and MARCA reported on Wednesday that Al Nassr, which has won the Saudi Pro League nine times, has offered him a two-and-a-half year deal that would make him the highest earner in world sport by far.
According to Forbes, only two other current athletes in the world earn more than $100 million per year – NBA superstar LeBron James ($122 million) and soccer icon Lionel Messi ($124 million), totals that also include endorsement income. Ronaldo ranks third on the list, bringing in $115 million (with $55 million coming in off-pitch income).
The offer from Al Nassr would dwarf all other deals and comes after a number of top European clubs, including German side Bayern Munich, distanced themselves from making a move for Ronaldo.
Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn told reporters on Tuesday: "We have a clear idea, a clear philosophy of how our squad should be put together. We all appreciate him, there is no discussion.
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"We all love Cristiano Ronaldo, but that is something that doesn't fit into our idea."
He told Morgan that he didn't "have respect" for Ten Hag and accused United of showing a lack of "empathy" when his young daughter was hospitalized in July.
After being released by United, Ronaldo said in a statement: "I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge."
"We've had players like David Beckham and [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, but having someone with the quality of Ronaldo would certainly be something that we would have a lot of interest in," Jeff Agoos, a former US international and current Major League Soccer executive, told Insider last week.
"A lot of things can happen, but we'd be excited to have Cristiano Ronaldo," he added.
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