Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed FIFA Club World Cup reunion with ex-Man Utd & Al-Nassr team-mate after seeing Alex Telles make Botafogo transfer plea

Having run down his record-breaking contract in the Saudi Pro League, sending him towards free agency, Ronaldo has been linked with a number of clubs that will be competing for a global crown on American soil this summer.

Among those is Brazilian outfit Botafogo. That is where Telles, who has previously shared a dressing room with Ronaldo in England and the Middle East, is currently plying his trade. He was keen to bring in another familiar face alongside him.

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Questions were asked of CR7, as speculation regarding his future plans raged, but no deal was done. That is because Ronaldo could not be convinced that, at 40 years of age, he should be taking on another new challenge.

Brazil international left-back Telles told Caze TV of the CR7 transfer rumours: "I wanted to know if it was real, but he said that, up until then, he had nothing and that it wasn’t the right time to come.

"I asked him to come here [Botafogo]. I even said ‘come and be happy at Fogao’, but he said it wasn’t the right time. Everyone knows what’s best for them."

Having opted against heading to the Club World Cup, on the back of captaining Portugal to a second UEFA Nations League title, Ronaldo is now expected to agree an extension to his deal at Al-Nassr.