Cristiano Ronaldo has received a mouth-watering transfer offer from Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. According to reports, the 3-year deal would see him earn more than 200 million USD per season till 2025. Netizens couldn’t help but breakdown the amount to check how much the Portuguese would make playing in the Kingdom.
Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia Signals End of an Era
Ronaldo fans have had their hearts broken over the news. They knew how badly their favourite player wanted to keep playing in the Champions League. That dream would surely be over if this monumental transfer is completed. It will certainly make Ronaldo the highest paid athlete in the world but take away his chances of winning coveted trophies in Europe. Moreover, Saudi Professional League (SPL) is not as popular as English and European leagues. It also has much less viewers due to the limited coverage around the world. Many football fans commented that they would consider Ronaldo a loser if he moved to KSA because of money.
Memes on Social Media
Some fans reacted by sharing funny memes on the Portuguese forward. Apart from mocking his poor form in the Europe, they are wondering about his future in the Middle-East. For someone used to living in freedom and liberty, moving to a country with strict Islamic laws can influence such memes. Here is one that shows Ronaldo’s assimilation in the Kingdom.
Premier League Running on Oil Money
English media often criticizes Islamic countries for human rights abuses. Although many other countries have done much worse on this Earth, the Arabian nations get most of the attention. The news about Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia also generated similar remarks. English media has been lambasting Ronaldo even though he hasn’t even confirmed the transfer yet. However, football fans came forward to remind them how half of the London clubs are owned by Arabs. Moreover, the top English club Manchester City is mostly owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of United Arab Emirates. He is member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family and a minister of a country who’s 85% economy is reliant on oil and gas exports. In that sense, English media may look childish for criticizing Ronaldo over Saudi transfer.
When will Ronaldo Move?
Ronaldo confirmed his move away from Manchester United on November 22, after only a year of signing the contract. After a decent first season, things began to look tense between the player and the club management this year. Eventually it turned into a fallout after Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan. In the interview, the forward criticized the club’s American owners, the Glazer family and manager Erik Ten Hag. The viral interview imploded Manchester United with terminating Ronaldo’s contract and The Glazers putting the club up for sale.
Al Nassr has also claimed to compensate Ronaldo for the remaining six months on his terminated Manchester United contract. The figure is reportedly around 19 million USD. However, the player has asked his agent to hold all transfer talks while he is in Qatar for FIFA World Cup 2022.
