Following his departure from Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo hoped Real Madrid would have signed him. The Portugal international was training in the Real Madrid facilities before moving to Saudi Arabia.
Everything in life has its time and season, and football is not exempt. It is the vicious cycle of life that no kingdom lasts forever. It is easy for a player to believe in his invincibility when at the top, but time catches up with everything. It is a lesson that many need to learn.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been a superhero in football. He set many records and made nonsense of several projections about him. Ronaldo brought tears and joy to many football fans. Perhaps he has been on the top scene for far too long. The Portugal international has refused to drop the cape. He has witnessed a drop from fighting intergalactic battles to playing cops and robbers.
After the debacle with Manchester United, Ronaldo hoped he could still ply his trade for a top club. The Portuguese superstar angled for a Champions League team, but things did not pan out that way. Training at Real Madrid facilities, Ronaldo hoped Los Blancos would give him a call to wear the white shirt once more.
The dream of playing for Real Madrid busted
Ronaldo made his second coming to Old Trafford like a king but ushered out in what was a palace coup. The once-adored idol of the club received treatment reserved for commoners. Ronaldo had a famous interview with Piers Morgan. It was the death knell on his United career. It confirmed that second comings do not usually turn out well.
Perhaps that is what Real Madrid thought as they refused to take a punt on their most illustrious goalscorer. Cristiano Ronaldo had hoped that Los Blancos would take a chance on him. Signing Ronaldo would have been easy, as he was a free agent. Ronaldo even trained at the Real Madrid facilities. Perhaps with the hope that the hierarchy at the Santiago Bernabeu would see that he still has what it takes to perform at the highest level.
Ronaldo had hoped to get an offer from a club competing in the Champions League, but it was as if the clubs read a memo and acted on it. Chelsea, Napoli and Bayern Munich could have signed him, but they decided to let the opportunity pass. Real Madrid, with a good thing going on for them, also elected to let it go.
Ronaldo joins Al-Nassr in a record-breaking deal
With a contract from Europe’s elite not coming, it was evident that the superstar was short on options. Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr jumped to the top of the queue with a mouth-watering offer for the Portugal international. There were initial denials by the Ronaldo camp about accepting the deal, but with no offers and clubless, he had no choice but to move to Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo officially became an Al-Nassr player earlier this week. Several reports suggest it took a mammoth deal to bring Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia. Inclusive of commercial bonuses, Ronaldo will earn €200m (£173m) a year. He signed a contract with Al-Nassr till 2025.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, Ronaldo was aware during the World Cup that his future was in Saudi Arabia. The report suggests negotiations were carried out by Ricardo Regufe, as Jorge Mendes was not involved. Regufe is close to Ronaldo.
