Cristiano Ronaldo sends Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham transfer message amid Lionel Messi dig
Cristiano Ronaldo paved the way for the likes of N'Golo Kante and Karim Benzema to test themselves in Saudi Arabia, but Lionel Messi bucked the trend
An explosive TV interview with Piers Morgan was the final straw for Erik ten Hag. The Red Devils were said to have been 'furious' after Ronaldo's attack of the club caught them by surprise, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner claiming that he felt betrayed.
N'Golo Kante and Karim Benzema have joined Al Ittihad, while Al-Ahli have secured the signatures of Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy. Ruben Neves and Roberto Firmino have also decided to test themselves in the Saudi Pro League – as has Steven Gerrard, who's recently been appointed first-team head coach at Al Ettifaq.
However, while some of Europe's biggest names flocked to the Middle East, Lionel Messi decided to buck the trend and join Inter Miami. No more than a day after the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was unveiled by the Florida-based side, Ronaldo claimed that the 'Saudi Pro League is better than the MLS' and insisted that he won't be lacing his boots again in Europe.
"The Saudi league is better than the MLS," he said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano. "I'm 100% sure I won't return to any European club. I opened the way to the Saudi league and now all the players are coming here.
"I won't return to European football, the door is completely closed. I'm 38-years-old, also European football has lost lot of quality. The only league that for me has a lot of quality and is at a higher level than all the others is the Premier League.
"The Spanish league does not have that great quality," added Ronaldo. "The Portuguese league is a good league, but it is not a top, top league. The German league I think has also lost a lot.
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