Cristiano Ronaldo has put forward the conditions for his return to the pitch to the Saudi Pro League. If the Public Investment Fund (PIF) fails to effectively guarantee his demands, the Portuguese star will remain sidelined and seek a transfer.
Ronaldo made it clear that the prerequisite for his return is that Al Nassr’s management must quickly regain their authority, and that the "interference acts" suffered in the recently closed transfer window will not happen again in the middle of the year.
In recent months, Simoão Coutinho, Al Nassr’s sporting director, and José Semedo, the club’s CEO – both Portuguese – have been suspended from their posts by the PIF. This move infuriated Ronaldo and also hindered the team managed by his fellow countryman Jorge Jesus from signing top-tier reinforcements. In addition, the club’s spending budget has been drastically cut.
At the same time, Al Hilal has received a huge capital injection from Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. The billionaire is one of the club’s backers and is committed to strengthening the team’s squad. All of Al Hilal’s signings in this transfer window, costing 70 million euros (including Karim Benzema), were funded by Prince Al Waleed. His group owns 25% of the club’s shares, with the remaining 75% held by the PIF.
The former Real Madrid superstar just renewed his contract with Al Nassr until June 2027 last summer, which includes a €50 million release clause. The Saudi Pro League is clearly reluctant to lose its biggest brand ambassador.
Al Nassr and the PIF have promised Ronaldo a huge summer spending spree, with his former Manchester United Portuguese teammate Bruno Fernandes and other big-name stars listed as potential transfer targets.
