Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly came ‘very close’ to joining MLS club Sporting Kansas City before opting for a lucrative move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
Ronaldo’s future has been the subject of much speculation since his contract termination at United in November.
The 37-year-old who returned to Old Trafford only about 18 months ago, was expected to leave in the January transfer window after failing to secure a move away last summer.
It has now been revealed that before the Portuguese struck the agreement with Al Nassr, his entourage had held ‘multiple meetings‘ with MLS side Sporting Kansas City. It is claimed that the offer from the American club was ‘very close’ to the record-breaking contract offered by the Saudi club.
The chairman of Sporting Kansas City Rob Heineman retweeted a post from The Blue Testament, which confirmed that the MLS club had been in talks with Ronaldo “for weeks” in order to finalise a deal.
Luring Ronaldo to the MLS would have been a major coup for the league, with reports earlier this year claiming that David Beckham owned Inter Miami, are trying to convince Lionel Messi to finish his career in the US.
Ronaldo however opted for the Saudi club Al-Nassr which will see him earn a ‘reported £173million-a-year‘. Keeping the money aside, the move itself shows that perhaps Ronaldo has come to terms with the fact that he is not the same player that he once was and that no top club in Europe were keen on signing him.