According to reports, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner asked Manchester United for a transfer in the summer.
Al-Hilal president Fahad ben Nafel claims to have discussed a potential transfer with Cristiano Ronaldo. Al-Hilal has won the Saudi Arabian championship an unprecedented 18 times.
According to several sources, Ronaldo attempted to quit Manchester United in the summer following the club’s poor campaign, in which it finished sixth in the Premier League and failed to make the Champions League.
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At one time during the summer, a sudden relocation to Saudi Arabia was considered. It was reported that Ronaldo had received a €300 million two-season contract deal to play in the Middle East.
Ben Nafel offers his perspective on the events.
Ben Nafel admitted to having talks with Ronaldo for Al-Hilal on the Thamanya YouTube channel.
Al-Hilal is able to bring in international stars, so the issue wasn’t one of money or principle. Rather, it was the Sports Arbitration Center’s ruling that prevented us from registering the players.
We continued to negotiate with the players in spite of the prohibition, but we held off until the suspension was lifted before moving on to the last phase.
Although there is a possibility of extending Ronaldo’s current contract with United for an additional year until 2024, it expires next summer.