With a salary in Saudi Arabia of 200 million euros a year, it is clear that you have money to invest even if you throw money out the window on luxury hotels and pomades. The Mirror reports that “Ronaldo owns a hotel chain, clothing and lifestyle brand, gyms, and he has invested in real estate, media and technology companies”
“Buying a football club seems to be his next ambition.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s proposed takeover of a major European club has taken a big step closer to realization. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner will be able to freely invest in things related to sports in his agreement with the royal family of Saudi Arabia.
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Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has shown little inclination to retire from football, but has reportedly set his sights on becoming a club owner.
Ronaldo plays for Al Nassr in the Saudi Arabian professional league, one of the four clubs that were taken over two years ago by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Now, at 40, he is getting ready for his own club takeover and has no intention of limiting his ambitions when it comes to choosing a club.
His plans took a big step in the right direction on Saturday thanks to events on the pitch in La Liga.
Mundo Deportivo reported last month that the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is interested in a spectacular takeover by Valencia, a faltering giant in European football with too many empty seats in the stadium and too far away from the spotlight.
Experts believe that Valencia is worth €432 million, a sum that will have to be beefed up heavily if there is to be a sale.
Ronaldo is understood to only want to pursue a deal with the highly critical owner Peter Lim if Valencia avoid relegation from Spain’s top division. Their 3-2 win over Las Palmas on Saturday at the Estadio de Gran Canaria ensured that the “bats” are safe from relegation.
Any bid from Ronaldo for Valencia will require financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s PIF to have enough weight to get even Lim, who is reluctant to sell but increasingly unpopular due to Valencia’s poor performance, to consider his options.
“Although Ronaldo’s representatives have yet to comment on the rumours, Singaporean billionaire Lim had no plans to sell the club when pressed on the subject,” the Mirror reported.
Portugal’s captain is no stranger to La Liga. He played for Real Madrid for nine years, winning the league title twice in a time filled with dramatic showdowns against Barcelona, and adding four Champions League medals to his 2008 win with Manchester United.
Ronaldo is the top scorer in the Saudi Arabian professional league this season, but Al Nassr are eight points behind leaders Al Ittihad and have not won the title since 2018-19, two and a half years before his arrival.
Despite Lim’s outright denial that Valencia is for sale, they all have the hallmarks of a big club in need of renewal.
They haven’t finished in the top four in the last six seasons, and 2024-25 is the second season in a row where they’ve been too close to relegation to feel comfortable.
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