Sky Sports has dropped a bombshell in the sports world, confirming that Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr club, is extremely angry about recent events, particularly those related to the transfer market.

Ronaldo's anger and Al-Hilal's stance

According to the global network, the dissatisfaction of the "Madeira Rocket" stems mainly from the differences that occurred during the last winter transfer window, as the traditional rival Al-Hilal made strong deals to fully strengthen its ranks, while Ronaldo believes that his team did not receive the same level of support to compete for all titles.

Reports indicate that Cristiano Ronaldo has a serious desire to leave the club next summer and depart the Roshan Professional League, in search of a new challenge or an environment that guarantees him the level playing field he has been accustomed to throughout his professional career.

Possible destinations: between Europe and America

In a related development concerning the Portuguese legend's future, the network continued its report, confirming global interest in signing the player. It explained: "Offers are on the horizon from European clubs eager to bring back the all-time leading scorer, in addition to other serious offers from Major League Soccer (MLS)." Sources confirmed that the player will carefully consider all available options before making the right decision, especially given his recent struggles and dissatisfaction with the current situation.

Ronaldo's impact and the transformation of the Saudi League

It's worth noting that Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr in January 2023 marked a historic turning point for Saudi and Asian football. His arrival paved the way for the club to attract a host of world-class players, such as Karim Benzema, Neymar, and Riyad Mahrez, bringing the Saudi Professional League into the global spotlight. Therefore, any decision regarding his departure would not simply be a player transfer; it could have significant repercussions on the media and marketing momentum of the sporting project, even though the Saudi league has proven its ability to continue developing.

Getting ready for the highly anticipated Clasico

Aside from the speculation surrounding his future, Cristiano Ronaldo is currently focused on the pitch, as Al-Nassr prepares for a crucial match against Al-Ittihad. The game, part of the 21st round of the Saudi Professional League, will take place on Friday evening and is of paramount importance to both teams in their league campaigns. Al-Nassr aims to continue its pursuit of the top spot and demonstrate its competitiveness despite the circumstances that have angered its captain.

In a decisive statement aimed at reassuring Newcastle United fans, manager Eddie Howe categorically ruled out the possibility of Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali following in the footsteps of his former teammate Alexander Isak and seeking a move away from the club in the upcoming summer transfer window. These comments came in the wake of a flurry of press reports linking the Italian international with a surprise move to Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The final hours of the winter transfer window saw considerable speculation surrounding Tonali's future, with Italian reports indicating contact between the player's agent and the London club. However, the deal ultimately fell through, sparing Newcastle from losing another key player, especially after the devastating blow of Alexander Isak's departure to Liverpool in a record-breaking £125 million ($171 million) transfer, a move that negatively impacted the team's stability due to the player's insistence on leaving.

When asked about his concerns regarding a possible repeat of this scenario with 25-year-old Tonali, Howe expressed great confidence in his player's commitment, saying: "I don't think so. As far as I know, we have an outstanding footballer and a fantastic character. He's very happy here and has an excellent relationship with me and his teammates." The English manager added realistically: "Our best players will always attract the attention of other clubs; that's the reality of football. But we want to keep the group together and continue to progress.".

Financial sustainability challenges and economic constraints

These developments come at a time when Newcastle faces complex economic challenges. Despite the massive financial backing from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (the club's owner), the management's ability to inject funds into the transfer market is now strictly limited by the Premier League's financial sustainability and profitability rules. Howe expressed his frustration at not being able to strengthen the squad in the winter transfer window despite injuries and a congested fixture schedule, indicating that the club had to wait until the summer to be more astute in navigating the financial constraints.

A crucial match against Manchester City

On the pitch, Newcastle faces a daunting test in its League Cup title defense, needing to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit when it travels to Manchester City for the second leg of the semi-final. Manager Howe acknowledges the difficulty of the task against Pep Guardiola's side, describing the match as "enormous," but he emphasized the team's belief in its abilities and its determination to fight to the very end to retain the trophy that ended the club's 70-year trophy drought last season.

French star N'Golo Kanté, the Al-Ittihad first-team midfielder, has sparked a major crisis within the Jeddah-based club after refusing to participate in the team's training session held on Tuesday. This sudden escalation by the player appears to be a form of pressure on the club's management to approve his transfer to Turkish club Fenerbahçe before the current winter transfer window closes.

Details of Kante's rebellion and confirmations from international sources

According to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, who revealed the news on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, N'Golo Kanté's absence from training was not due to health or technical reasons, but rather a disciplinary decision by the player himself in protest against the stalled negotiations for his transfer. Jacobs confirmed, "N'Golo Kanté refused to train with Al-Ittihad today and is still strongly pursuing a move to Fenerbahçe." This action indicates the player's strong desire to experience a new challenge in the Turkish league, putting Al-Ittihad's management in an unenviable position.

Successive blows to the ranks of the Dean

The Kante crisis is not an isolated event, but rather coincides with a series of blows recently suffered by Al-Ittihad fans. The report indicated that the club is already struggling after losing the services of another French star, Karim Benzema, to their arch-rivals, Al-Hilal, in addition to the administration's failure to finalize the signing of Gustavo Sa to compensate for the shortage of players. This situation makes Kante's potential departure a "knockout blow" to the team's plans for the current season, especially given reports that the club is currently unable to register new players.

The potential impact of absence on team balance

N'Golo Kanté is the cornerstone of Al-Ittihad's midfield, with the team relying entirely on him to win back possession and link up play. The departure of a player of Kanté's caliber and experience, a former World Cup and Champions League winner, will leave a huge void that will be difficult to fill, especially given the administrative and technical crises plaguing the team. Al-Ittihad's management is currently working to contain the situation and persuade the player to stay until at least the end of the current season, in order to maintain team stability and prevent the complete collapse of the midfield.

Al-Ittihad fans are living in a state of extreme anticipation and anxiety, waiting to see what the next few hours will bring, and whether the administration will succeed in dissuading Kante from his decision, or whether he will join his former teammate Benzema outside the club's walls, which may plunge the team into a dark tunnel during the second round of the season.