FIFA are said to have banned Cristiano Ronaldo’s side Al Nassr from registering any new players.
FIFA banned Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr from registering any new signing to the clubs. The club signed Ronaldo early this year with a staggering annual salary of £173 million in the Gulf state
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Al Nassr, who recently signed Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan, have been handed a registration ban after failing to pay part of Nigerian international Ahmed Musa’s deal with the club.
The Super Eagles star joined the club in a €16.50 million (R336 million) deal from Leicester City after impressing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The club didn’t stop there and continued to buy big names like Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan. While Italy international Domenico Berardi and Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech were among the names linked with a move to the club.
But the club is facing a ban from FIFA for signing any new players as it failed to pay Leicester City the add-ons from a deal that brought Ahmed Musa to the Saudi team in 2018.
Musa moved the club five years back to the Saudi Arabian Pro League side in a deal worth 16.50 million euros after his fabulous performance at the Russia World Cup.
The Football governing association, FIFA, prohibits the domestic and international transfer windows as the club failed to pay add-ons amounting to a reported 3,90,000 pounds to Leicester City as part of their deal for the Nigerian striker.
To lift the ban, Al-Nassr needs to make the pending payment and get back in the market, as all Saudi clubs might embark on a trolley dash this summer.
The Saudi club is still linked with some of the well-known names of the game, including Hakim Ziyech from Chelsea. But FIFA’s action to block the club from registering new signings may be set for a potential roadblock.
The 61-year-old Portuguese is best known for his two seasons in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk including home and away wins over Real Madrid in the group stage of the 2020-21 Champions League. He spent last season in Brazil with Botafogo.
They have also signed Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan and have been linked with Hakim Ziytech from Chelsea.
Al-Nassr is among four top Saudi clubs effectively nationalized last month by being taking into majority ownership by the sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund. PIF claims to have assets of around $700 billion and is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.