Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi club Al Nassr banned from adding new players for not paying over $500,000 in fees

Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr has been banned from registering new players for failing to pay Leicester some "add-on" fees for Ahmed Musa's transfer deal in 2018, according to international media reports.

Al Nassr rocked the football world when it signed the Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this year for a whopping deal worth over $200 million annually. Soon after the striker's sensational switch, other Saudi Pro League teams has been pulling in some of the world's top football talents — from Karim Benzema to Roberto Firmino.

Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic was the latest to be added to Al Nassr's squad, Next on their list could be Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech — but it looks like the club may not be able to do any more signings for the next season because of the Fifa ban.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi club Al-Nassr are banned from registering new players until unpaid debts are settled, FIFA said on Thursday.

World football's governing body did not say whether Brozovic's recent transfer from Inter Milan would be affected by the sanction.

"The relevant bans will be lifted immediately upon the settlement of the debts being confirmed by the creditors concerned," a spokesperson told AFP.

Fifa had imposed a ban over payment issues related to Musa's transfer.

Al Nassr was ordered to pay English club Leicester 460,000 euros ($513,000) plus annual interest of 5 per cent in an October 2021 ruling by a FIFA-appointed judge at its players’ status committee.

Leicester filed the complaint in April 2021 because of unpaid additional clauses due from the 18 million euros ($20 million) sale of Nigeria forward Musa in 2018.

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