Cristiano Ronaldo was subject to a potentially “huge commercial offer” from one club ahead of signing for Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Ronaldo’s contract with Manchester United was terminated back in November after the Portugal captain spoke openly about his treatment at Old Trafford this season.
During his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner pulled no punches towards United manager Erik ten Hag.
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And Ronaldo also slammed United owners the Glazer family and blasted former Red Devils teammates Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney.
Ronaldo was spotted training at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training facility in a bid to keep up his fitness after Portugal crashed out of the World Cup in Qatar.
The 37-year-old Portuguese forward ended the speculation surrounding his future after signing a lucrative deal with Al Nassr in late December.
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According to Romano, Ronaldo will earn an eye-watering $90m per year and his total salary will hit an astonishing $200m thanks to commercial and sponsorship deals.
Romano has now revealed that Ronaldo, who inked a deal with Al Nassr until 2025, was targeted by another club outside of Europe.
The transfer news expert has claimed that MLS outfit Sporting Kansas City were keen to bring the United and Real Madrid legend to the States.
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The Wizards reportedly held meetings with people close to Ronaldo before his interview with Morgan and after he “broke his relationship” with United.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “One other club tried to sign Cristiano Ronaldo and it’s not a European club: it was Sporting Kansas City.
“Some MLS clubs approached Ronaldo about a potential move to the United States but Sporting Kansas City, from what I heard, had two meetings with people close to Ronaldo.
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“The first meeting was before the Piers Morgan interview and the second was after Ronaldo broke his relationship with Manchester United.
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“Sporting Kansas City were considering a huge commercial offer for Ronaldo, similar to Al Nassr, and were prepared to do something historical in terms of salary and contract to tempt Ronaldo.
“But Cristiano decided the offer from Al Nassr was more tempting.”
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Football
Adnan Riaz