Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Al-Nassr Exit Decision After Funding Dispute
Cristiano Ronaldo is prepared to leave Saudi Arabia if a dispute over funding is not resolved, GMS understands.
The 41-year-old is unhappy with Al-Nassr’s winter business, which he believes has been impacted by a lack of support from within PIF and the Ministry of Sport. This winter, Al-Nassr were only able to sign Saudi forward Abdullah Al-Hamdan from Al-Hilal and Iraqi midfielder Haydeer Abdulkareem from Al-Zawraa SC.
Ronaldo missed Al-Nassr’s 1-0 victory over Al-Riyadh on Monday and is now set to miss Friday’s game with Al-Ittihad despite training with the team as normal.
Ronaldo Angered by Karim Benzema Transfer
Although Ronaldo did not directly ask for Karim Benzema to join him at Al-Nassr, he was left angered by his move from Al-Ittihad to Al-Nassr given the funds required to pull off the transfer.
Al-Hilal sources stress minority owner Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bankrolled the Benzema deal, but Ronaldo is of the belief Al-Hilal got preferential treatment. Benzema went on to score a hat-trick on his debut against Al-Akhdoud on Thursday.
Ronaldo played a leading role in the hiring of Nassr CEO Jose Semedo and sporting director Simao Coutinho and is understood to feel let down by financial support given to the pair to move freely in the market.
Saudi clubs share around €2bn as a seasonal budget. This money comes from the so-called Player Acquisition Centre of Excellence (PACE) programme and is distributed based on needs rather than split equally.
Further talks are now expected to take place between Ronaldo and senior PIF and Saudi Pro League (SPL) officials. The SPL have also hit back at the boycotting of games, claiming Ronaldo has no right to influence the business of other clubs.
“The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules,” a league spokesperson said on Thursday evening.
“Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.
“Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition. Like any elite competitor, he wants to win. But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.
“Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.
“The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.
“The focus remains on football – on the pitch, where it belongs – and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans.”
Saudi Pro League Wants Ronaldo to Stay as Interest Emerges
Saudi Pro League officials want Ronaldo to stay and reach 1,000 career goals in the Kingdom, and some believe the former Manchester United forward could even buy Al-Nassr once he retires. PIF will eventually sell the club along with Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli as part of a long-term plan. Saudi sources stress PIF’s involvement in the four clubs was always meant to be medium-term only.
Yet Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr contract contains a €50m release clause and GMS understands Turkish sides are monitoring the situation ahead of the summer. Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are the two most interested clubs in case an opportunity develops. Ronaldo also has long-standing interest from the MLS.
Saudi officials are hoping Ronaldo returns for Al-Nassr’s trip to Arkadag in the AFC Cup round of 16 next week. But club sources stress they support Ronaldo’s absence and it’s a day-by-day situation.
Chelsea have reportedly submitted a £26m offer to sign a Chelsea star in the summer transfer window, as personally requested by Xabi Alonso.
The Blues will be looking to back their new manager after he took over earlier this year.
It’s been a difficult period for Chelsea, who won’t be competing in the Champions League next season, and they did superbly to attract a manager of Alonso’s calibre.
The club now needs to back him with new additions in order to suit his style, while the squad also needs a refresh after their disappointing campaign.
GIVEMESPORT sources have confirmed that Chelsea are set to sign Atalanta wing-back Marco Pelestra, kick-starting their summer spending.
Chelsea Submit £26m Bid
According to a report from journalist Luca Cerchione, Chelsea have submitted a £26m bid to sign Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka in the summer transfer window.
The potential signing is believed to have been personally requested by Alonso, who managed Xhaka during his time at Bayer Leverkusen.
It feels unlikely that Sunderland would be willing to accept a bid of just £26 million for Xhaka, considering he was their ‘best‘ player last campaign and won their player of the season award.
Alonso knows the midfielder well, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that they are targeting that profile of signing.
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Chelsea Need to Add Experience
Chelsea have heavily focused their recruitment on bringing in young talent from around the world over the last few years.
Although it could be an effective method in the long term, they do lack experience in all positions.
The Blues are one of the most ill-disciplined sides in the Premier League, getting more red cards last season than any other team.
The signing of someone like Xhaka won’t only offer experience in himself. He’s also the type of leader who can help get the best out of other players.
Sunderland managed to qualify for European football last season, despite only being promoted the previous campaign, and Xhaka was a key reason behind that.
Manchester United look set to miss out on a potential new signing as he’s now agreed a deal to join another club in a record-breaking move.
The Red Devils have been incredibly busy in the summer market already, looking to strengthen their squad ahead of a season in the Champions League.
United showed they have a squad capable of finishing in the top four last season, but they were without the distraction of European football.
They are heading in a new direction under manager Michael Carrick, who was appointed as permanent boss earlier this year.
There’s no doubt they’ll need new additions in order to compete on all fronts next season, and they are working on multiple deals at the moment.
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Man Utd Miss Out on ‘Elite’ Star
Manchester United look set to miss out on one of their summer transfer window targets as he’s now agreed to join a different club.
According to a report from Team Talk, AC Milan have agreed a club record deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Goncalo Ramos.
Manchester United held talks with intermediaries representing Ramos earlier in the transfer window, and he was firmly on the radar of the Premier League club.
United didn’t make a formal offer for Ramos, who has been described as ‘elite’, and he is now set to join AC Milan for a fee in the region of £60m, eclipsing their previous record when they signed Rafael Leao for around £43m.
United were among a number of Premier League clubs to have held talks with Ramos, but it’s no surprise that PSG have accepted such a big offer from AC Milan.
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Man Utd in Market for New Striker
Manchester United do appear to be in the market for a new striker in the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils are looking to bring in an experienced forward to help develop and provide cover and competition for Benjamin Sesko.
Reports have suggested that their dream target for this position is Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen, but a deal could be difficult due to the finances involved.
United need to ensure that they do not ruin the pathway of development for Sesko. They also need to ensure he has strong competition and cover, especially as they prepare to compete in the Champions League.
Tottenham have reportedly made a £100m offer to secure a new signing in the summer transfer window as they continue their big spending.
It’s already been a hectic window for the North London club, confirming three new additions with plenty of other deals being worked on.
Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have all signed on the dotted line at Tottenham so far.
They certainly won’t be the only additions to arrive through the door in the coming weeks, with Spurs in talks to sign a number of players.
It’s no surprise that Tottenham are incredibly busy after such a disappointing season in the Premier League, finishing 17th for the second campaign in a row.
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Tottenham Make £100m Offer
According to reports, Tottenham have taken a big step towards securing their fourth signing of the summer transfer window.
Tottenham have submitted a £100m offer to sign Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, and the Italian international wants to make the move to Spurs this summer to play under Roberto De Zerbi.
A few details are missing before Spurs can complete a deal, but Tonali, who has ‘incredible pace’ according to the Premier League, remains Tottenham’s number one target for the midfield position.
Tottenham are heavily prioritising signing new midfielders after strengthening their defence earlier in the window. Tonali does appear to be the priority target, with Spurs willing to pay a hefty amount of money to secure his signature.
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Tottenham Working on Fernandes Deal
Tottenham are also working on a deal to sign West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes in the summer transfer window.
The north London club face competition from Manchester United for his signature, but Spurs are actively pushing to bring him to the club in the coming weeks.
The Portuguese midfielder could cost in the region of £85m to prise him away from West Ham, and it’s a competitive race to secure his signature.
Tottenham are clearly prioritising a move to sign a midfielder or two this summer, and it will be interesting to see if they try to bring in both Fernandes and Tonali.
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