Al-Nassr set deadline to complete Cristiano Ronaldo signing: Reports

Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr are determined to get a deal for Cristiano Ronaldo across the line by January 1, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.

Cristiano Ronaldo was expected to remain with Manchester United until at least the end of the season. However, the Premier League giants terminated his contract by mutual agreement last month.

The decision came on the back of Ronaldo's explosive interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan. In the said interaction, he launched an attack on the Red Devils and manager Erik ten Hag.

Manchester United thus pulled the plug on the Portuguese icon and tore up his contract, with seven more months remaining on it. The player thus went into the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as a free agent.

Ronaldo is confident that he can continue performing at his best in Europe but has struggled to attract interest from elite clubs. Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr appear to be the only interested party as things stand.

Al-Nassr are said to have offered the forward a contract until 2025 with a salary of €200 million a year. There were claims that the five-time Ballon d'Or award winner has agreed to move to the Middle East.

Cristiano Ronaldo, though, quashed claims that he was on his way to Al-Nassr during the FIFA World Cup. It appears the former Sporting Lisbon superstar is still hopeful of securing a move to a European club.

However, in the absence of an offer from an elite club, the Portugal captain could be forced to accept Al-Nassr's offer. According to the aforementioned source, the Saudi Arabian outfit are keen to make his signing official by January 1, 2023.

One of Ronaldo's representatives was reportedly in Riyadh, Saudi's capital, in recent days to iron out the finer details of the transfer. It now remains to be seen if the player will put pen to paper on a deal with them.

---

Cristiano Ronaldo is not the only superstar Al-Nassr are looking to sign

Al-Nassr's desire to acquire Cristiano Ronaldo's services has made them a huge talking point in the world of football. However, it is worth noting that the 37-year-old is not the only superstar they are looking to sign.

Al-Aalami have also been credited with an interest in Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender Sergio Ramos. It appears they are keen to reunite the former Real Madrid teammates in the Middle East before they retire.

The Saudi Arabian club have been linked with an audacious move for Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante as well. It is unclear if they will manage to bring all three of the players in.