A third stint at Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo has been dismissed by his former team-mate amidst his ongoing dispute with Al-Nassr. Ronaldo, who turns 41 on Thursday, has dominated worldwide headlines following his contentious actions in Saudi Arabia.

The Portuguese superstar declined to feature for Al-Nassr in their 1-0 triumph over Al-Riyadh on Monday after former Real Madrid colleague Karim Benzema's transferred to title contenders Al-Hilal. The Frenchman, 38, left Al-Ittihad following his contract termination before joining the league leaders, who sit one point clear of Ronaldo's team in the Saudi Pro League.

Given that Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal are all under the ownership of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Ronaldo has been incensed that a deal to secure the 2022 Ballon d'Or recipient was finalised due to the harm it inflicts on Al-Nassr's championship aspirations.

With no certainty he'll feature in the squad for their encounter with Al Ittihad on Friday, conjecture over whether Ronaldo's Saudi Arabian chapter will conclude has been extensively debated. According to The Athletic, the 41-year-old possesses a £44million release clause in his deal.

Reports have connected Ronaldo...