Al-Nassr president Musalli Al-Muammar has moved to pour cold water on reports Cristiano Ronaldo will move to Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo is without a club after Manchester United agreed to terminate his contract following his controversial interview with Piers Morgan, in which the Portugal international made numerous negative claims about the club and staff.
It is understood that Ronaldo would prefer a move elsewhere in Europe but there are reports which insist he is having trouble drumming up any interest from top clubs.
And the only concrete offer currently on the table is reportedly one from Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, with the club prepared to make him the richest sportsperson of all time on a €500m two-and-a-half-year deal.
But Al-Nassr president Al-Muammar has denied the rumours. When asked about a potential move for Ronaldo, Al-Muammar kept his cards close to his chest by jokingly replying: “Who is Ronaldo? I don’t know him.”
However, in another interview with SSC Sports, Al-Muammar reckons no club is “in negotiations” with Ronaldo because of his recent World Cup exploits.
Al-Muammar said: “Ronaldo is busy with the World Cup and I don’t think that he is in negotiations with anyone.”
Despite that, Italian transfer insider Gianluca Di Marzio is still pushing the idea that the deal to Al-Nassr “is done” and that only Newcastle have made a “concrete offer” for him.
Di Marzio said: “Cristiano wanted to stay in Europe, but he’s not received any concrete offers from European clubs.
“Only from Newcastle, but the idea was that he could play there until June, then go to Al-Nassr. But I think that deal is done.”
Ronaldo has damaged his reputation over the last year without fall-outs at Man Utd and reacting angrily at the World Cup to being substituted against South Korea.
But former Man Utd team-mate Wayne Rooney has always maintained that Argentina superstar Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, not Ronaldo.
“Winning the Copa America last year will have given them confidence and has taken a bit of pressure off them,” Rooney told The Times in November.
“The climate will suit them too. The only thing they are missing is a No.9, that focal point in attack, but I think they will be really dangerous.
“Everyone has different views on Messi and Ronaldo but I have said many times that I think Messi is the best.
“I have watched lots of videos of Diego Maradona, who was a similar player, but Messi is better.
“He has everything, the way he controls games, his dribbling, his assists, whereas Ronaldo is more of a goalscorer.”
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