Does Cristiano Ronaldo really have special Newcastle clause in Al-Nassr contract?

On Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was formally revealed by his new team Al-Nassr, saying he made the move because he had "won everything" in Europe. Saudi state-owned media have reported that his annual salary with Al Nassr would be over €200 million.

The 37-year-old veteran also said that he had been pursued by other teams from different parts of the globe. Portugal's performance in Qatar 2022 wasn't great, but the five-time Ballon d'Or winner made history by scoring in his fifth World Cup. Then, the Selecao coach Fernando Santos benched him in favor of Goncalo Ramos during the round of 16 and quarterfinal matches.

This followed his public separation from Manchester United, which was precipitated by the comments to TalkTV's Piers Morgan that he felt "betrayed" by the Premier League team. At the time, Ronaldo expressed concern about his comeback to the squad and expressed distaste for manager Erik ten Hag in the interview.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo join Newcastle if they qualify for the Champions League?

Though he just signed with Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo may still have UEFA Champions League aspirations. Marca reported this week that the 37-year-old's deal has a clause that would enable him to join Newcastle on loan if the club qualify for the Champions League next season.

The report explains that "the Middle Eastern connection” is responsible for this development since the North East company is controlled by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Following his departure from Manchester United in November, the Portuguese striker signed a deal with Al-Nassr for two and a half years.

However, Eddie Howe, manager of Newcastle, has now shot down the rumors that the club may trigger a transfer clause to get Cristiano Ronaldo. Howe was questioned about the rumors just before his team's showdown with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

He made it obvious that Ronaldo would not be joining the club at St. James' Park, but he did not minimize the player's talent or accomplishments in any way: "We wish Cristiano all the best in his new chapter, but there's no truth in that from our perspective. It’s not true that we have that kind of clause."