Sporting KC nearly signed Cristiano Ronaldo

Superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo completed a move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on Friday. The former Manchester United player made the switch as a free agent after leaving the Premier League side last month.

While news of the transfer is not exactly shocking, Ronaldo did actually almost sign with a Major League Soccer team.

ESPN‘s Taylor Twellman has reported that Sporting Kansas City made a hard push to sign Ronaldo. The club held multiple meetings with the Portugal international and a financial package was nearly agreed between the two sides.

Ronaldo will supposedly earn about $200 million per season in his upcoming contract with Al Nassr.

Insider says Ronaldo liked idea of a small market team

MLS insider Tom Bogert has also claimed that Sporting KC had discovery rights in attempting to sign Ronaldo. This meant that they had a clear path to potentially bring the striker to Kansas City.

Team owners also compared a superstar playing in a small market with Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes currently plays for Kansas City’s NFL team and is widely considered to be one of the top players in the league. Ronaldo was reportedly receptive to this comparison.

Nevertheless, the Portugal striker opted to go with the Saudi club. “I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia,” Ronaldo stated after signing his contract with Al Nassr on Friday.

American league miss major chance to display new superstar

MLS will have to wait on signing a foreign superstar for now. The American league previously brought in David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Wayne Rooney, Kaká, Andrea Pirlo, Didier Drogba, and Frank Lampard.

Lionel Messi may be the next major possible asset for an American soccer club. The World Cup winner will most likely be set for a move away from Paris Saint-Germain in the next year or two.

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