Mason Greenwood 'fears he will be unable to join a club in Saudi Arabia' due to 'ongoing feud' with Cristiano Ronaldo
Mason Greenwood 'fears he will be unable to join a club in Saudi Arabia' due to his 'ongoing feud' with Cristiano Ronaldo.
On Monday, it was announced that Greenwood and Man United have mutually agreed that the forward’s future will be away from Old Trafford.
Naturally, his future has been the subject of intense transfer speculation, with reports claiming at least two Championship club 'held preliminary discussions' about signing the player.
However, the unnamed teams decided not to pursue their interest any further.
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A move to Saudi Arabia has also been mooted, with Steven Gerrard responding to Al Ettifaq's reported interest in the 21-year-old.
A transfer to the Saudi Pro League, though, appears unlikely, according to reports. It's claimed that Greenwood has doubts whether he can start fresh in the Middle East after describing the career of Ronaldo as 'dead' during his spell at Real Madrid.
That's despite the Portuguese international winning La Liga and Champions League titles not to mention Ballon d'Or awards whilst plying his trade with the Spanish giants.
Greenwood's comment emerged in March, three months after the 38-year-old signed for Al Nassr.
When the five-time Ballon d'Or winner learned about the damning remark, he was furious and urged league bosses not to consider making a move for his ex-teammate, per the report.
A source told The Sun: "Ronaldo isn’t known for his thick skin.
"He was really annoyed at what Greenwood said - but he has good reason to be when you consider what Ronaldo has achieved in his career and where Greenwood finds himself.
"Greenwood had his nose put out of joint when Ronaldo signed for United because he ended up playing a lot less than he had hoped for, so their relationship was difficult."
The source added: "Ronaldo is treated as royalty in Saudi and what he says goes.
"He would have enough influence there to kibosh clubs from signing Greenwood if he wanted to."
A source said: "If Greenwood is too toxic for football in Saudi Arabia, you do wonder where on earth he could rebuild his career."
Ronaldo was the first superstar talent to sign for a Saudi club, with the likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, among others, since making the switch.
As for Greenwood, he's also been linked with moves to Italy and Turkey.
Topics: Mason Greenwood, Cristiano Ronaldo, Saudi Pro League, Football
Nasir Jabbar