An ex-Manchester United marksman has now suggested that the motivating factor for Cristiano Ronaldo's move to the Saudi Pro League was money.
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Following his Golden Boot-winning campaign with Al Shabab and then Al Hilal in 2021/22, former Nigeria international Odion Ighalo was once again among the top goalscorers in Saudi Arabia's top division last season, bagging 19 goals.
During that campaign, he welcomed another former Red Devil to the league in Ronaldo, who is reported to have signed the largest football contract ever when he signed with Al Nassr.
Ighalo has admitted that the only reason he went to the Gulf nation was the money they were offering, and he also insisted that, in light of Ronaldo's reported €200 million (R3.9 billion) contract, the Portuguese joined the Knights of Najd for the same reason.
"When you are young, yes, you play for passion. Back then, you don't care about money. But at my age, I am in the final stretch of my career, I don't know if it will be one, two years or when God will tell it to stop," the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Golden Boot winner told OmaSports TV
"I know it won't be more than three years. I've played for passion all my life, now it's for money. I'm not one of those players who come and say: 'I play for passion'.
"Brother, it's money. At the end of the day, it's money.
"Is Ronaldo still playing out of passion? Ronaldo has earned 100 times more than I have in my entire life and yet he went to Saudi Arabia.
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"Did he do that out of passion? It's for money, bro."
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