Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that he turned down a two-year contract worth €350m (£305m) from an unnamed Saudi Arabian club over the summer.
The 37-year-old was strongly linked with a move away from Old Trafford in the summer transfer window, with clubs in the Middle East understood to have tabled offers for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
The president of Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, Fahad ben Nafel, revealed last month that he held talks in the summer with Ronaldo over a proposed move, while the president of the Saudi Arabian FA, Yasser Al-Misehal, suggested shortly after the transfer window had shut that a number of clubs from the country could reignite their interest in the forward.
Ronaldo has been in the headlines this week following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan for TalkTV in which he has heavily criticised Man United, manager Erik ten Hag, several board members and former players.
With Ronaldo's long-term future at Old Trafford seemingly in serious doubt, the Portugal international has revealed that he turned down a huge financial package from a Saudi Arabian club over the summer.
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Asked by Morgan if reports of a two-year contract offer from a Saudi-based club worth €350m (£305m) were true, Ronaldo replied: "It's true, yes, it's true. In that moment [I turned it down], yes.
"They [the press] say many, many garbage things. Jorge Mendes (Ronaldo's agent) has more than 100 players and they go to Chelsea and Arsenal, but they always mention Cristiano Ronaldo, 'they offer Cristiano'".
Ronaldo added: "Let's be honest, who is the most expensive salary player in the Premier League ever in history - it's me, even at 37 years old.
"They [the media] even offered me to Sporting [Lisbon] or Napoli. I will be honest with you, I didn't have many, many clubs but I have many, many offers of the other clubs. But what the press keep saying, the garbage, is that nobody wants me, which is completely wrong.
And I was happy here [at United] to be honest, I was motivated to do a great season here [at United]. But they continue to repeat that nobody wants Cristiano. How they don't want a player who last year scored 32 goals last year, [including] with the national team?"
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Ronaldo, who is currently away with Portugal ahead of the 2022 World Cup, has also admitted that he is unsure whether he will remain at Man United after the tournament in Qatar.
"It's difficult to tell right now, because my mood is, right now, [focused on] the World Cup. It's probably my last World Cup, of course, my fifth World Cup," Ronaldo added.
"I don't know what's going to happen after the World Cup, but as I told you before, and I will say again, the (Man United) fans will always be in my heart. And I hope they will be by my side, even if I [come] back, or if I'm not back, or if I stay or whatever.
"Nobody's perfect. Episodes in the life we all have is part of being human beings, is part of me being a human being and [being a] father as well. I always will commit mistakes.
"But I don't know, it's hard to tell right now what's going to happen after the World Cup because my focus is for the World Cup, for the Portugal national team."
Ronaldo is set to see his current contract at Old Trafford expire in June 2023 and he will be able to negotiate pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs from January onwards.
Oliver Thomas
