Jorge Jesus sends Cristiano Ronaldo transfer ultimatum to Al-Nassr board amid contract uncertainty

Ronaldo has seen an end to his Saudi Arabian adventure speculated on, with the 41-year-old forward said to be mulling over his options. A return to Europe has been mooted - potentially at boyhood club Sporting - while fans around the world would like to see the all-time great united with eternal rival Lionel Messi at MLS Cup winners Inter Miami.

No decision has been made as yet regarding what happens next, and that is also impacting Al-Nassr head coach Jesus. He is said to have “made renewing his contract contingent on the continued presence of his compatriot”. Al-Riyadiyah newspaper claim no fresh terms will be agreed by the man in the dugout if Ronaldo is allowed to move on.

The same source goes on to state that “the coach will not discuss his contract, which expires at the end of the current season, until he has a clearer picture of the Portuguese captain's future”.

Ronaldo has sat out Al-Nassr’s last two fixtures after expressing disappointment at how funds are distributed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) among the teams that they control. Karim Benzema’s move from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal proved to be the final straw.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo wanted to see more arrivals at Al-Nassr during the winter transfer window, as they look to chase down the Saudi Pro League title. Reinforcements did not arrive.

That situation is also said to have irked Jesus as he had been “waiting for the completion of two signings he had requested since the beginning of January, but these deals have yet to materialise”.

Al-Riyadiyah claim that Jesus is “not expected to renew his contract under the current circumstances, which make it difficult to meet his technical demands”. He took charge of Al-Nassr ahead of the 2025-26 campaign and has picked up 24 wins from his 30 games at the helm.

Ronaldo is reported to be relaxing his strike stance after generating plenty of headlines, with a return to training being made. Portuguese media outlet A Bola claim that CR7 is being pencilled in for a recall against Al-Fateh on Saturday. He will not be involved in an Asian Champions League 2 match with Arkadag in Turkmenistan on Wednesday.

His refusal to play has been backed by one former team-mate, with ex-Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos telling his podcast: “The Saudi league is a strange phenomenon. No one had heard of it before the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, and now they disrespect the man who put them on the world map.If Cristiano leaves tomorrow, this league will lose all its charm. Without Ronaldo, no one would see the Saudi league.”

Others have, however, been quick to condemn Ronaldo’s behaviour. Walid Al-Faraj, a prominent television host and one of the most respected voices in Saudi Arabian football, has said of a disgruntled GOAT: “Cristiano Ronaldo needs to know his place. This country is called Saudi Arabia, not Ronaldo's Arabia. He confuses being an ambassador with being a manager.

“He's been a disappointment. He's an employee, he earns a millionaire's salary – more than he's ever earned in Europe – and he has to respect the league, or he has to leave.”

He went on to say of Ronaldo’s antics, which have attracted plenty of criticism: “Imagine a Manchester City player refusing to play in protest against the club owner's decisions. Or an Arsenal player refusing two games because he's unhappy with the renewal offer. It's impossible for a player to dare do that in the Premier League.”

Ronaldo’s contract - which is the most lucrative in world football and is said to earn him close to £500,000-a-day - is due to run until 2027. A decision on his long-term future may be made after representing Portugal at this summer’s World Cup.