Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi club, Al Nassr, is reportedly facing a financial crisis that has halted transfers and delayed salary payments.
According to a report in Al-Riyadiyah, several first-team players received their June salaries in instalments, while the club’s hierarchy has been working to settle the upcoming outstanding amounts.
The report does state, though, that the accumulation of debt, which exceeds the club’s revenues, has seen Al Nassr’s transfer activity stall during the current window, including plans to acquire a foreign player to replace midfielder Marcelo Brozovic.
The precariousness of the situation could also have a lasting impact on those players already at the club, as highlighted by a source in Al-Riyadiyah.
‘This makes it impossible to impose new contractual obligations on the club before addressing the current financial situation and providing proof of its ability to meet its commitments,’ they said.
The same source confirmed that Al-Nassr’s management has not yet submitted the necessary documents to the relevant authorities to demonstrate its financial capacity to enter into new contracts.
The news comes months after Ronaldo’s strike over what he viewed as a lack of investment in the club, despite earning £488,000 a day.
The Portugal captain was reportedly dissatisfied with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) backing of the club, particularly as rivals Al Hilal, which is also 75 per cent owned by the PIF, continued to strengthen. Among their high-profile additions was Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema, who joined from Al Ittihad.
Ronaldo returned to playing after two matches following the meeting of his main demands, namely the payment of overdue salaries and management autonomy being restored to the club’s top executives.