Man Utd make Ronaldo return decision as Saudi’s massive asking price revealed

Manchester United have made their stance over a historic third spell at the club for Cristiano Ronaldo clear as the Saudi Pro League’s asking price for the forward is revealed.

Ronaldo finds himself locked in a very public dispute with the Pro League, one that has seen him sit out Al Nassr’s last two matches in a form of strike.

The former Man Utd and Real Madrid ace believes that his side have not been given the same backing in the transfer market as the other clubs owned by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), leaving them at a disadvantage when it comes to winning titles.

In particular, Al Hilal’s move to sign Karim Benzema seems to have acted as the catalyst for his upset.

Further to this, he was left upset that key figures behind the scenes at Al Nassr have been suspended from their roles.

Man Utd reject Ronaldo return

While Ronaldo is not officially on the market, he has a €50 million release fee in his Al Nassr contract that will have to be triggered if he is to leave the club in the summer – one year before his contract in Saudi is due to expire.

Manchester United are not interested in bringing him back to Old Trafford for a third spell, the i Paper states.

Instead, it echoes previous reports that a move to Sporting CP is a likelier option, while MLS and the Qatari Stars League are also touted as potential destinations for Ronaldo.

Is Ronaldo still worth €50m?

Cristiano Ronaldo has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €10.4 million, so in a footballing sense is not worth anywhere close to his release fee.

The Portuguese is, however, a unique figure in terms of marketing and visibility. As such, his impact cannot be measured in sporting terms alone, which is why he is paid a world-record wage by the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo was once sold for €117m from Real Madrid to Juventus, but at his absolute peak would have been worth far more than this. These days, however, predate FootballTransfers’ ETV algorithm, so just what his peak was is unclear.

Related stories:

Ronaldo pushes for Saudi exit as strike continues

Ronaldo faces race against time to hit 1000 goals as retirement revelation made

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