On-strike Cristiano Ronaldo FAILS to stop Karim Benzema’s Saudi swap transfer and now faces uncertain future on his £488,000-a-day deal as his club Al-Nassr go into media blackout

Karim Benzema’s controversial move from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal has been completed and it is a bitter blow for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo went on strike on Monday for Al-Nassr’s trip to Al-Riyadh, reportedly angry at their lack of spending on transfers.

Therefore, it is a sucker punch for Al-Hilal, who lead the Saudi Pro League by a single point over Al-Nassr, to be allowed to sign one of their biggest allies from the Real Madrid days.

The main context for all this is that all three clubs, as well as Al-Ahli, are majority controlled by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Ronaldo is reportedly aggrieved that Al-Hilal’s net spending since the 2022-23 season, when he arrived, is £180 million more than his own team’s.

While Ronaldo does not have a major trophy in the Middle East, they are on track to win their second league title in three years.

Karim Benzema signs contract with title rivals Al-Hilal, controlled by the Saudi Public Investment Fund

According to Portuguese media, after Monday’s match, Al-Nassr’s managers banned coach Jorge Jesus or any player from speaking in the tense atmosphere that started due to Ronaldo’s protests. a bola.

It all marks a worrying shift for Saudi football bosses after a greedy few years in which they have had their way with some of the sport’s biggest stars.

A Bola said Ronaldo, 40, has a contract worth £488,000 a day, while Saudi Arabia was unhappy with how PIF was managing Al-Nassr’s finances.

The worst-case scenario for them is Ronaldo leaving before his contract expires in 2027. In December he hinted he could finish his career elsewhere, saying: ‘My ambition is high and I want to continue.

‘It doesn’t matter where I play, in the Middle East or Europe.’

Benzema’s case, meanwhile, is a shocking example of the Saudi moneybags being told to dig deeper into their pockets by one of their prized players.

ESPN reported that the 38-year-old left the group at Al-Ittihad on Thursday last week in protest of a ‘humiliating’ contract extension offer.

He was left out of the match squad for the 2-2 draw with Al-Fateh last week and became an Al-Hilal player within four days.

The striker moved to Al-Ittihad in 2023 in a blockbuster deal that took his salary to a not-so-insulting £1.61 million per week or just over £230,000 per day.

Ronaldo went on strike in Al-Nassr’s last match due to lack of equal spending (Photo with Benzema in September)

Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez are well settled after purchasing two villas at the exclusive Nujuma Ritz-Carlton Reserve on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast

Becomes football’s first billionaire thanks to two-year, £492m Saudi contract

Ronaldo, who was photographed with Benzema in Real Madrid, embraced life in Saudi Arabia after his move

Strangely, Benzema is thought to have accused the club of ‘letting him play for free’ at the start of his contract, with the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner only entitled to image rights.

According to Fabrizio Romano, N’Golo Kante is approaching a transfer from Al-Ittihad to Fenerbahce.

The 34-year-old midfielder is thought to have an annual income of around £21.6 million in Saudi Arabia, but Türkiye is becoming increasingly attractive to stars of all ages.

Türkiye’s big clubs now boast giant names such as Victor Osimhen, Jhon Duran, Leroy Sane and Ederson.