Festive funds boost for Cristiano Ronaldo, Jude Bellingham ‘fee’ claim and Kudus to Wolves

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Christmas spending money looks set to get a significant boost with reports in Spain claiming he is set to sign a lucrative deal with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.

The Portuguese star - and most followed person on Instagram, as he will tell you - ended his second spell with Manchester United by mutual consent last month after giving an explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which he told everyone how handsome he was and blamed everyone in sight for his inability to make an impact at Old Trafford.

Fortunately, Ronaldo looks set to be spared a lengthy spell being unemployed with Sky Sports claiming he will sign a deal worth £173m per season with Al-Nassr and will also become an ambassador for Saudi football. That is despite Ronaldo suggesting he wants to remain in Europe and continue to play in the Champions League as he looks to hold on to his record as the competition’s all-time record goalscorer.

So we are sure his move outside of Europe has nothing to do with reports his closest competitor Lionel Messi is in talks with MLS side Inter Miami.

Hey Jude, don’t let Pep down

It probably hasn’t escaped anyone’s attention but Jude Bellingham has been rather impressive during England’s World Cup campaign and is completely justifying Birmingham City’s decision to retire his squad number following his move to Borussia Dortmund.

The young midfielder has become an integral part of the Dortmund side over the last two years and has even captained the Bundesliga giants, despite still being in his teens. He is having a similar impact on Gareth Southgate’s side and has been one of the standout starts at the World Cup.

His form for club and country has led to suggestions a whole host of Premier League clubs are willing to offer him a chance to return to England over the coming months, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City among those linked.

However, the Liverpool Echo have reported analysts at the CIES Football Observatory have stated Bellingham could command an eye-watering fee for any potential buyer. Prior to the World Cup, the midfielder was valued at around £155m using metrics including his form, age and length of his current deal. His form in Qatar has seen his potential value increase to around £215m.

Kudus to Wolves on this attempted move

It seems remarkable that Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly attempted to land Ajax star Mohammed Kudus on loan during the summer transfer window.

Since that failed move, the winger has gone on to shine with the Dutch giants and has produced some eye-catching displays at the World Cup to attract some serious attention from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Kudus netted two goals in three games as Ghana finished bottom of a group containing Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay. That continued the form he has shown in the first part of the Eredivise season and led to links with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle United - although any suitor would have to stump up around £40m if recent reports are to be believed.