An American football club reportedly tried to sign Cristiano Ronaldo after he left Manchester United in 2022.
Ronaldo left United by mutual consent after falling out with Erik ten Hag and a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan in which he lambasted the Dutchman.
The Portuguese star kissed goodbye to £16million as United cut his contract short just four days after his television appearance.
Yet that lost income was small fry by the end of December as he penned a £175m-per-year deal with Saudi Arabian moneybags Al-Nassr.
The Athletic have reported how MLS club Sporting Kansas City tried to sign him – with a deeper view of what they were willing to offer him.
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View galleryMLS club Sporting Kansas City tried to sign Ronaldo after he left Manchester United in 2022
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View galleryRonaldo left Manchester United by mutual consent after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan and joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr
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Ronaldo criticised Erik ten Hag and the Glazer family as well as saying he was ‘betrayed’
Kansas got in touch with MLS officials to tell them they were attempting to lure Ronaldo to the USA.
Peter Vermes, the club’s head coach, said at the time that the deal ‘took on real legs’.
The owners of Kansas City, who sit 14th out of 15 in the Western Conference, were potentially willing to give Ronaldo a stake in the club.
That would have been alongside creative packages and a slice of earnings from international kit sales.
Multiple meetings were held between Ronaldo’s representatives and those from the club, who last won the MLS Cup in 2013.
Senior figures at the club reportedly believe they had dragged themselves into the final two teams in Ronaldo’s thinking before he opted for Al-Nassr.
According to The Athletic, an internal MLS database of 50 players ranks Ronaldo behind only Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi as the player deemed most valuable for clubs to sign.
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Ronaldo had a fractured relationship with Ten Hag since the Dutchman’s arrival in 2022
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Cristiano Ronaldo (left) has signed for Al-Nassr after leaving Manchester United on a free
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Portugal were knocked out of Euro 2024 in the quarter-finals against France and Ronaldo consoled Pepe
Ronaldo is one of many players who have decided to leave Europe behind and move to Saudi Arabia, a burgeoning destination for footballers in the twilight of their careers due to the immense wealth on offer.
Last season he scored 44 goals in 45 games but he is still without a domestic trophy in the Middle East, although he has won the Arab Club Champions Cup.
He suffered a heartbreaking final Euro 2024 campaign, with Portugal being knocked out of the quarter-finals against France on penalties.
