Al-Nassr closed to within one point of Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal on Monday with a 1-0 win away to Al-Riyadh. Cristiano Ronaldo played no part in the vital victory, though, and not because he was injured or ill. According to widespread reports, Al-Nassr's star striker had effectively gone on strike over the club failing to strengthen their squad during the winter window.
Ronaldo apparently feels that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns the country's top four teams, have been favouring Al-Nassr's rivals in the transfer market - and Al-Hilal in particular.
The league leaders have certainly done some decent business in January, bringing in former Arsenal defender Pablo Mari as well as Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, who joined on a free transfer after falling out with former club Al-Ittihad. It was the latter move which allegedly tipped Ronaldo over the edge, resulting in the Portuguese refusing to play against Al-Riyadh.
Obviously, Ronaldo's competitive streak is what made him such a legendary figure in the game, and it's clear that his failure to win a major honour since moving to the Middle East bothers him enormously. However, this just looks like a 40-year-old man-child throwing his toys out of the pram once again.
Remember, Al-Nassr made Ronaldo the highest-paid player in world football, while at the same time surrounding him with high-profile players such as Sadio Mane, Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman - with the latter two arriving at Al-Awwal Park just last summer. And what must his team-mates think of the fact that he clearly believes that not all of them are good enough for a team with title aspirations?
Maybe, then, the problem isn't a lack of quality or depth at Al-Nassr, but a lack of leadership and accountability from their captain. If Ronaldo wanted Al-Nassr to spend even more money on new signings, he could have helped by taking a pay cut!