'Stars come and go' - Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr future thrown into doubt as Saudi Pro League chief delivers shock verdict on CR7's contract situation

Ronaldo remains a key figure for the Riyadh club, having scored 28 goals in 33 matches in all competitions this season. The Portugal star's contract with the Saudi side ends this summer, and though he has reportedly agreed to sign an extension, no official announcement has been made on his future as yet.

Mohammed Basrawi, one of the head honchos at the Saudi Pro League, has surprisingly claimed that he is not bothered about Ronaldo's future, suggesting the competition's main aim is to lure younger stars to the Middle East in the coming years.

"Cristiano isn't just a football player; he's already a celebrity, a brand in himself, followed by fans all over the world," the general manager of marketing communications told Marca. "But the strategy isn't just about them, as important as they are, but also about the rest of the clubs and players. Stars come and go, and fans come and go with them. Cristiano's challenge is a challenge, but there's more to it."

He added: "The challenge is not only to focus on the big names, but to go beyond that and raise the level of all clubs, not just the big four or five... We have two strategies: developing young Saudi talent and attracting young players from abroad. In the last transfer window, we saw that the signings were younger. The average age was 23.4. And that's the challenge: for a 23-year-old who has only played for one major club in Europe to choose the Saudi League at that age to develop."

Ronaldo will put his concerns about his future to one side this week as he prepares for Portugal's Nations League quarter-final clashes against Denmark.