The hardest decision: has the time come for Al-Nassr to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo?

Ronaldo has changed the image of the Saudi league globally, and raised Al-Nassr's marketing value in an unprecedented way. But in return he is leading a project considered the most expensive in the club's history.

The huge salary the Portuguese star receives, along with the privileges tied to his contract, represents an enormous financial burden. And it comes at a time when Al-Nassr are suffering from a clear crisis, one that has left them unable to conclude new deals or even settle the renewal files of some of their players.

Talk of large debts has begun to emerge. The question, then, is a logical one: can Al-Nassr continue this project at the same cost?

The great footballing projects have shown one thing: lasting success never rests on a single star. It rests on a complete system of players, a manager and a stable administration.

Ending the Ronaldo project would free up considerable financial space for Al-Nassr. The administration could then conclude more than one impactful deal and settle part of its financial obligations, rather than pouring the bulk of the budget into a single player.

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The question, then, is not Ronaldo's technical value. It is the cost of the whole project weighed against the sporting return the team has managed so far.

Ronaldo, though, cannot shoulder the blame for the crisis alone. He keeps delivering impressive numbers, keeps up his professionalism and goes on scoring goals and making the difference, while his commercial pull brings the club a vital source of income.

Keeping the player, however, also means honouring huge financial commitments. Those could hamstring the management's efforts to rebuild the squad, especially if the financial crisis runs deeper than anyone thinks.

The decision, then, will not be purely sporting. It will be economic too, tying Ronaldo's future directly to Al-Nassr's ability to climb out of their current crisis.

If the goal is merely to compete for titles this season, keeping Ronaldo may make sense. But building a sustainable project that returns Al-Nassr to the summit for years to come could force the management into the hardest decision in its modern history.

Ronaldo's departure would not spell the end for Al-Nassr, just as his continued presence guarantees nothing. One thing is certain. The current crisis has opened a door no one ever imagined would be opened: has ending the Ronaldo project become the solution to save Al-Nassr?