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Cristiano Ronaldo has asked Al-Nassr to sell half of their squad and set two more demands before he signs a new contract this summer. That is according to a report from Media outlet Okaz Sports, which claims that the Portuguese icon has become tired of the lack of progress at the club.
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in January 2023 following his unceremonious departure from Manchester United in November 2022. However, his time in Saudi Arabia hasn't produced the desired outcome, with his team failing to claim silverware ever since he arrived.
The club is set to endure another barren spell this season. They've been knocked out of every domestic cup competition as well as the AFC Champions League. They also sit 11 points below the summit in the Saudi Pro League with just three games to go.
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With the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's contract with the club set to expire at the end of the season, attention is quickly turning to his future. He is expected to make a decision about where he'll be playing next season as the summer transfer window approaches.
According to Okaz Sports, Cristiano Ronaldo is unhappy with the lack of progress at Al-Nassr and has issued an ultimatum to the club, demanding wholesale changes before penning a new deal.
The report mentions that the Portuguese icon has called for almost half of the squad to be sold. He believes players like Bento, Aymeric Laporte, Angelo Gabriel and Wesley need to be offloaded while the likes of Mohamed Simakan, Otavio, Marcelo Brozovic, Sadio Mane and Jhon Duran should be kept.
In further demands, the Portuguese legend is also said to have requested that head coach Stefano Pioli and sporting director Fernando Hierro be removed from their positions. As per the story, Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't like Pioli's tactical approach as it has failed to deliver a trophy so far while he wants Hierro to be replaced with someone who has full control over transfer decisions.
What is next for Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr?
Cristiano Ronaldo was left out as Al-Nassr went head-to-head with Al-Akhdoud in the Saudi Pro League yesterday (May 12). The team produced a brilliant performance in the absence of their talisman, strolling to an empathic 9-0 victory away from home.
Up next, Stefano Pioli's men are scheduled to lock horns with Al-Taawoun in their next game in the Saudi top flight this Friday (May 16) before taking on Al-Khaleej and Al-Fateh in their next two games on May 21 and 26 respectively.
That said, it is fair to say that it hasn't been a bad season for Cristiano Ronaldo on an individual note. The 40-year-old has bagged 33 goals and four assists for the club in 39 appearances across all competitions so far. He currently leads the league's goalscoring chart with 23 goals, two above his closest rival Karim Benzema.
