Portugal boss Fernando Santos claimed to be in the dark over Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly agreeing a move to Saudi Arabia.
All-time great is currently without a clubHas been linked with teams around the worldSaid to be heading to the Middle East
WHAT HAPPENED? It has been suggested that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has a deal in place with Al Nassr that will see him earn €200 million-per-season (£172m/$212m) across a two-and-a-half-year contract. Speculation has been raging regarding Ronaldo’s next move ever since it was announced that he had been released as a free agent by Premier League giants Manchester United.
WHAT THEY SAID: Asked if he could confirm that a switch to the Middle East is on the cards for Ronaldo, Santos said: “I haven’t spoken to him about this. We had a conversation with the players but I didn’t even know about this. I just heard about this when I arrived here. That’s his decision, that’s what he has to deal with and we are very focused here on the World Cup and his team, and that we spoke about.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: It is claimed that the deal Ronaldo has in place will not come into effect until January 1, with his attention currently locked on a bid for global glory in Qatar.
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WHAT NEXT? Portugal will be in last-16 action at the 2022 World Cup on Tuesday when facing Switzerland, with Ronaldo looking to add to a tournament goal tally in that contest which currently stands at just one from three appearances.
