Mason Greenwood big money Saudi deal could be ruined by Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood may have botched what could potentially have been a career-saving move to Saudi Arabia. A comment that the player allegedly made several years ago about Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo may be coming back to haunt him.

Greenwood on a desperate search for employment

Earlier this week, Manchester United announced that the club has decided to part ways with Greenwood after the conclusion of their internal investigation over charges of rape, assault and coercive behaviour that were brought against him last year. The charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in February 2023 after key witnesses backed out, but the club decided to do their own internal investigation.

After initial reports claimed that the Red Devils might reinstate the 21-year-old forward, the club ultimately decided against it but promised to support Greenwood in his bid to rebuild his career.

Manchester United would rather not see the player move to one of their rival clubs, even though Greenwood is understood to be keen on staying in England. However, the potential PR nightmare has spooked a number of clubs that could have been interested in his services.

Cristiano Ronaldo could block his way to Saudi Arabia

There hasn't been any progress when it comes to a potential move to a club in England at the moment, and the most feasible route for Greenwood is to accept an offer from a Saudi Pro League side.

Speculations were rife over the past few days that a big money offer could land on Greenwood's table in the coming days. However, a source tells The Sun that his former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo could step in and stop that from happening.

The issue stems from a comment that Greenwood made back when Ronaldo was still playing for Real Madrid. He described Ronaldo's career as "dead" before the latter made the move to join Serie A side Juventus FC and then later returned to Old Trafford.

It is understood that Greenwood wasn't too keen on seeing Ronaldo join Manchester United, since it meant much less playing time for him. Nevertheless, he botched all of that himself thanks to an 18-month suspension that stemmed from his arrest in January 2022. Needless to say, he didn't need Ronaldo's presence to end up in the sidelines.

Now, that same comment is being brought up since Greenwood might be seeking a lucrative deal with one of the oil-rich Saudi Pro League sides.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a highly influential figure in Saudi Arabia, ever since he joined Al-Nassr in January in a mammoth £350million deal. His arrival has changed the face of the Saudi Pro League so much so that a number of other European superstars have made the move this summer.

The source claimed that Ronaldo was furious when he first heard of Greenwood's comment about him, and their relationship had always been difficult even when they shared a dressing room at United.

"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," said the source.

Saudi Arabia is already being criticised heavily due to allegations of human rights violations, and bringing in someone like Greenwood is a potential PR disaster. The same report claims that a Saudi Pro League "senior figure" said that it would come as a surprise if any of the clubs make a move to sign the former England international.

If that is true, it means that Greenwood's options will become much more limited. A move to the MLS might also become problematic, seeing how the United States puts such a premium towards promoting women's rights and inclusivity.

In a statement, Greenwood insisted that he has been cleared of all charges, but many are pointing out that he had not been acquitted. There is a big difference because the charges were dropped due to the fact that there was no longer a possibility of a conviction after the witnesses refused to cooperate.

Meanwhile, Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, who now manages Saudi club Al-Ettifaq has denied that he is interested in signing Greenwood. He called the reports "fake news" after numerous publications linked his club with the young striker.