Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo could finally return to the Premier League after his Al Nassr coach spoke of his transfer plans.
Cristiano Ronaldo represents Portugal at Qatar World Cup
Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United with a splash in August 2021 when they paid Juventus £12.8m to bring him back to Old Trafford. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has enjoyed a successful first season back at United, scoring 24 goals in 38 appearances.
However, Ronaldo’s future at United is under threat in the summer of 2022 when Eric ten Hager becomes the new manager. He’s not sure the team is so dependent on a 37-year-old who wants to help other players improve.
As a result, Ronaldo lost his starting spot and the Ten Hag opted instead to rely on attackers such as Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Anthony.
Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo was very frustrated with spending so much time on the bench and gave a blockbuster interview to vent about his problems. He complained about Ten Hag, some of his United players and the hierarchy at the club.
So far, he obviously cannot continue to play for Manchester United, and the two sides chose to terminate the contract in November.
Despite wanting to join a Champions League club when he left Manchester United, the legendary striker ended up going to Saudi Arabia’s AI Nasser.
He has made two appearances for them so far, although he has yet to find a chance to score.
Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nasr is valid until June 2025. Given his age, that could mean he will eventually retire in the Middle East.
Cristiano Ronaldo backs complete European return
Surprisingly, however, Al Nassr boss Rudi Garcia is now saying Ronaldo wants to return to Europe.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is a positive addition because he helps to disperse defenders,” Garcia told reporters at a news conference (via talkSPORT).
“He is one of the best players in the world. He will not end his career at Al Nassr, he will return to Europe.”
After returning to Europe from Nasser, Ronaldo is likely to end up joining a Premier League team. After all, he knows the department well and has lived in England twice before.
He has also held talks with Chelsea and Manchester City about joining their respective teams in recent years.
But what is clear is that as long as the Ten Hag is around, Ronaldo will never play for Manchester United again.
The Ten Hag was unimpressed by Ronaldo’s controversial interview and did everything in his power to get the player out of the club as quickly as possible.
It would be a fairytale end to Ronaldo’s career if he went to Paris Saint-Germain and was linked with Lionel Messi. They are longtime rivals of Real Madrid and Barcelona and challengers for the Ballon d’Or.
It’s nice to see two of the best players of all time playing on the same team, even when they’re past their prime.
Meanwhile, Manchester United could break their transfer record by spending more than £100m for a lethal striker, according to reports.