Ronaldo Absent from Al-Nassr’s Upcoming Match Amidst Transfer Speculation

Al-Nassr has officially announced their lineup for the upcoming match on Monday, and notably, Cristiano Ronaldo is absent from the squad. The 40-year-old forward is not listed among the substitutes in the clash against Al-Riyadh, a team currently struggling at the lower end of the league table, starting the match in 15th place. A victory for Al-Nassr would enable them to equal the points of league leaders Al-Hilal, although they would have played one additional game compared to their title rivals.

Ronaldo’s absence is not entirely unexpected, as there had been prior speculation regarding his intention to strike due to discontent with recent developments during the January transfer window. A report from A Bola has indicated that Ronaldo is dissatisfied with the management of the club by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), particularly in comparison to how rival clubs, also under the fund’s management, have been treated. It has been suggested that Ronaldo is obstructing several potential transfers, which includes a noteworthy scenario where Karim Benzema might leave Al-Ittihad for Al-Hilal.

Such a situation could trigger a domino effect, impacting other transfers, as N’Golo Kante has yet to finalize his move to Fenerbahce, and Youssef En-Nesyri’s anticipated transfer to Al-Ittihad remains in limbo.