Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has hinted that Cristiano Ronaldo is not “worth the hassle” for a top manager, with a move to Saudi Arabia on the horizon.
Ronaldo left Manchester United in controversial circumstances last month and is now a free agent.
The Portugal captain was heavily critical of the Premier League club and manager Erik ten Hag in a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan.
After attempting to leave the Red Devils last summer, Ronaldo started 2022-23 very poorly, only managing one league goal before the World Cup break.
Given his form and off-the-pitch antics for both club and country, it is no surprise to see the 37-year-old struggle to find a top European club that will take him on.
And Carragher is not sure if Ronaldo is “worth the hassle” for a top club, with his performances on the pitch nowhere near what they used to be.
Carragher said on The Diary of a CEO podcast: “Ronaldo hasn’t changed, he’s always been that sort of character, everyone’s known that – but he was worth the hassle.
“And that’s like everything in football, when we talk about a manager making a decision, can you put up with that?
“You don’t cut off your nose to spite your face, but when it gets to that stage where you’re thinking ‘this is becoming more of a problem’… when a manager looks at you as a player, every manager wants the same thing: high performance, low maintenance. That’s it.
“When it starts getting weighted to the high maintenance and the scales are more tilted towards high maintenance, it’s time to go.”
Carragher does have admiration for Ronaldo, although it rarely comes across that way…
“I’m no huge Ronaldo fan, I think that’s pretty obvious and that’s not for his footballing ability,” he continued.
“I’ve actually got so much admiration for his mental strength. I think it’s unbelievable.
“I think [he’s] probably one of the strongest players mentally, because he’s had that thing his whole career, for how good he is, he’s still had [Lionel] Messi on his shoulder.
“He could never almost sit back and say ‘I’m the best’ and relax, he’s always had this constant ‘yeah but you’re not as good as Messi’.
“I know it splits people, but I would say the majority of people would probably side with Messi, I think that they do. And I think to always have that thing of trying to prove people wrong, and I’ve got that but on a completely different level, it’s almost like he feels he’s not ready to leave.
“Everyone says he’s one of the best players of all time and I can’t help but admire that drive, because I’ve got that drive – just not that ability that he’s got!”
A move to Saudi Arabia looks like the most likely scenario for Ronaldo, ending his long and illustrious career in Europe.
Al-Nassr are keen to sign the Real Madrid legend and it was reported earlier this month that he had agreed a humungous contract with the Saudi Pro League outfit.
That report has since been rebuffed by various reliable journalists, however, a fresh report states that Ronaldo will sign a lucrative seven-year deal to relocate to the middle east.
According to Marca, Ronaldo will pen a two-and-a-half-year contract as an Al-Nassr player before stepping into an ambassadorial role, with his wage increasing over time.
Ronaldo will apparently endorse Saudi Arabia’s joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup with Greece.
A deal is imminent, with Al-Nassr prepared to release three players in order to afford Ronaldo’s wage, with his contract reportedly worth £175million per year.
The 37-year-old actually rejected a move to Saudi Arabia last summer, but with no elite European clubs coming forward, it looks like he is going to settle for a move to the middle east.
Ronaldo confirmed the summer offer in the interview with Morgan, saying he turned it down as he believed he could help contribute to a great season for United.
He said: “It’s true, yes it’s true… but what the press keeping say, the garbage, is that nobody wants me, which is completely wrong.
“It’s hard, it’s hard,” Ronaldo said when asked why he rejected the huge contract offer. “But in the same way, I thought that I was very happy here; that I still capable to score goals.
“I still believe that I can score many, many goals and help the team because I still believe that I’m still good and capable to help national team – even Manchester United.”
READ MORE: How on earth will Man Utd replace Ronaldo and his one Premier League goal this season?