Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has denied rumours that his side has a loan deal in place for Cristiano Ronaldo if they qualify for the Champions League this season.
Ronaldo was unveiled as a new Al-Nassr player on Tuesday, following his lucrative free transfer to the Saudi Arabian club on Friday.
The 37-year-old, who will reportedly earn up to £177m per year at his new club, stated at his unveiling that he had “many opportunities” to join clubs around the world before settling on Al-Nassr.
According to reports, his contract included a clause that would allow him to join Newcastle on loan in the summer if the Magpies qualified for next season’s Champions League.
However, Howe has put an end to those rumours, claiming that there is “no truth” to them.
Howe told Sky Sports News ahead of Newcastle’s match against Arsenal on Tuesday: “We wish Cristiano all the best but there’s no truth in that from our perspective,” as quoted by 90min.
Newcastle United are currently third in the Premier League table, four points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Newcastle is performing well under Howe, and with just one loss through their first 17 Premier League games, they have a real chance of making the Champions League this year.
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Meanwhile, Ronaldo was understood to be keen on extending his Champions League career as long as possible, in order to remain ahead of Lionel Messi in the competition’s all-time scoring charts.
The Portugal international left Manchester United by mutual consent in November after an explosive interview in which he criticised the club’s lack of development as well as his manager Erik ten Hag.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has now signed a contract that will keep him at Al-Nassr through 2025.
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