SAUDI ARABIA
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr could be hit with a transfer ban
FIFA could sanction Al Nassr with a three-window transfer ban for irregularities in the signing of Ahmed Musa.
The signing of Ahmed Musa by the Saudi Al Nassr is still alive, despite the fact it happened in 2018, he left two years later, and has played for three different clubs in the time since. Leicester City, now a Championship side, claim a transfer fee from Cristiano Ronaldo’s team that has not yet been paid and which, if true, could result in a FIFA sanction. The governing body generally hands out, for these cases, sanctions of up to three windows without being able to sign players.
However, the solution seems quite simple for a group with the economic power of Al-Nassr. To avoid any potential ban, the club would need to pay the outstanding €460,000 / $510,000) plus the interest, to settle a matter that no longer concerns the player, since last summer Musa moved to Sivasspor in Turkey.
The ban would affect both domestic and international signings
In any case, the threat from FIFA is real and would jeopardise the project of a team that, starting with Cristiano, has built a team full of stars. The ruling was originally published in October 2021 and Al-Nassr were warned that a transfer registration ban would be placed on them if they failed to pay Leicester the outstanding amount. An unfavorable judgment would affect both domestic and international transfers.
Cristiano’s arrival was the first in a series of moves by the club - and country - in an effort to win the Saudi league. In recent weeks, the signing of Marcelo Brozovic has been confirmed, despite the fact that the Croatian had strong offers from European clubs - Barça among them.
