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Former Real Madrid star Geremi reckons Premier League football would be too demanding and competitive for Cristiano Ronaldo due to his age and reduced mobility. The former also believes Ronaldo will retire after the 2025-26 season.
Cristiano Ronaldo is no stranger to Premier League football, having plied his trade for Manchester United across two spells (2003-2009 & 2021-2022). He recorded 145 goals and 65 assists in 346 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils, helping them win nine trophies, including three league titles.
Since trading Manchester United for Al-Nassr in January 2023, Ronaldo has flourished in the Saudi Pro League. However, the Portugal superstar has yet to officially sign a new deal with the club, with his current contract expiring at the end of the month.
When asked about what he believed was next for Ronaldo, Geremi told BoyleSports (via GOAL):
"What Cristiano Ronaldo is doing at his age is exceptional, but his time in the Premier League is over. The Premier League is too demanding, he is 40 years old and it wouldn’t be the same as doing it once in a while in international games."
He added:
"I think he’s going into his last year in football and I can’t see him spending that in the Premier League, it’s too competitive and a lot more demanding than he has been used to in the last two years."
Due to the Saudi Pro League being less physically demanding, Ronaldo has excelled this season. The 40-year-old has scored 35 goals and registered four assists in 41 appearances across competitions.
"It’s true" - Wydad Casablanca president makes Cristiano Ronaldo revelation amid Club World Cup transfer rumors
Wydad Casablanca president Hicham Ait-Menna has admitted that he was interested in signing Al-Nassr ace Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. However, a lack of funds and Ronaldo's alleged lack of interest in participating in the competition led to the transfer falling through.
Ronaldo has been linked with numerous clubs in recent weeks ahead of the Club World Cup, including Al-Hilal and Wydad Casablanca. Al-Nassr endured a disappointing, trophyless 2024-25 campaign, as they failed to qualify for the tournament.
Ait-Menna told After Foot (via SI):
“Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn’t come for the money because he doesn’t need it. I don’t know how the rumour spread, but it’s true that I contacted one of his agent’s friends three-and-a-half or four months ago and said to him: ‘Wouldn’t he like to play in the Club World Cup?’. He said: ‘Well, I don’t think so’."
He added:
“There was never a real negotiation for this player. We would have liked to have him, but financially we couldn’t pay the price he’s worth. Unless he had shown interest... I even went back two or three times!”
Cristiano Ronaldo is now expected to sign a new deal with Al-Nassr in the coming days. He recently confirmed that he would not be participating in the FIFA Club World Cup following Portugal's victory in the UEFA Nations League.
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About the author
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Silas has been a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda for 2 years. A Computer Applications graduate, he is a versatile writer who conducts in-depth research and verifies information from multiple sources to ensure complete accuracy in his articles. Silas was introduced to the beautiful game back in 2008, watching the Premier League on television.
Silas is a Liverpool supporter through and through and admires everything about the club – it’s history, culture, style of play, and all of its iconic players and managers. His favorite player is Steven Gerrard, who was also one of the primary reasons to get interested in football and support Liverpool.
Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who transformed the Reds from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Liverpool’s fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Barcelona, scored by Divock Origi after the iconic ‘corner taken quickly’ moment from Trent Alexander-Arnold, holds a special place in Silas’ heart.
Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he also follows Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. When not writing, he indulges in reading, traveling, fitness and gaming.
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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee