On Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled as a new player in Saudi Arabia as he formalized his move to Al Nassr. The 37-year-old will earn a whopping $210 million (£175 million) per year during his time with his new team, which represents the first time he will be featuring for a side outside Europe.
Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia wasn't without its fair share of controversy, namely the way he left Manchester United under unpleasant circumstances. And the fallout now extends further, with numerous reports indicating that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and his agent, Jorge Mendes, have parted ways.
Mendes has represented Ronaldo for nearly 20 years, back before he secured huge moves to Manchester United and Real Madrid. However, the two will no longer be working together, with reports claiming that Cristiano's decision to go forward with his explosive interview with Piers Morgan being the breaking point for Mendes, who strongly advised against it.
The fallout from the interview made Ronaldo's quest to secure another European club pretty much an impossibility, with many big - and even smaller - clubs turning away from signing the Portuguese superstar. Interestingly, Mendes was apparently involved in the initial outreach towards Al Nassr, but ultimately was not involved in the actual negotiations that led to Ronaldo's signature.
Indeed, Ronaldo's friend and personal manager Ricky Regufe was the one to apparently get the deal over the finish line.
Cristiano will now be hoping to turn his attention towards commencing a new beginning at his new club, but apparently will have to wait longer to make his debut as he is currently on a two game ban issued by England's Football Association after smashing an Everton's fan's phone.
