Al Nassr moves to clear $213 million debt before stake sale

Summary

• Al Nassr's management is working to settle debts exceeding SAR 800 million to prepare the club for sale.
• Sponsorships and commercial partnerships will carry the largest share of the fix, a source told ⁦ontime+⁩.
• A RedBird-led consortium is negotiating with PIF, and wants Cristiano Ronaldo in as an investor.

The latest

Al Nassr's management is working to clear club debts that have passed SAR 800 million, clearing the ground for a sale in the coming period, a source told ⁦ontime+⁩. The source said sponsorships and commercial partnerships will do most of the work in resolving the financial crisis. The club is wholly owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

Details

• The debt: Al Nassr's obligations exceed SAR 800 million, with most of the burden traced to financial decisions taken during last season, according to Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadiah in a report published at the end of July. The club has not set out a public timetable for settling the amount.
• Ownership: The Saudi Ministry of Sport transferred the non-profit foundation's 25% stake to the Public Investment Fund, lifting the fund's ownership of Al Nassr to 100%. PIF had acquired 75% of the club in summer 2023 under the sports investment and privatization program.
• The spending: Al Nassr has spent roughly $507 million on player signings since summer 2023, according to the Mercato Al Sharq – Saudi Arabia Summer 2026 report. Only $25 million of that total went out in the most recent summer window, a sharp step down from earlier seasons.
• Financial controls: PIF began taking urgent measures to contain the crisis, according to Al-Riyadiah, with Al Nassr under tightened financial monitoring by the Saudi Pro League. That oversight limited the club's ability to complete new deals during the last summer transfer window.
• The bidders: A consortium led by US firm RedBird Capital Partners, alongside Saudi investors, entered negotiations with PIF to acquire a stake in Al Nassr, a source told ⁦ontime+⁩ in September. The consortium has submitted an offer and aims to close the transaction by the end of the current season.
• Who is in it: The consortium includes RedBird, chaired by Gerry Cardinale, Saudi firm Al Wasail, and businessman and former club president Ibrahim Al-Muhaidib, according to the source, who confirmed meetings with PIF. Talks are still running, with the fund open to the various offers before it.
• The Ronaldo clause: Investors asked for Cristiano Ronaldo to join the deal as a shareholder, a source close to the consortium told ⁦ontime+⁩, citing a clause in his contract granting him priority on 20% of the club's ownership if it is opened to private investment.
• The Portuguese account: Portuguese newspaper A Bola reported that Ronaldo, the Al Nassr captain, has joined the consortium, and that each member must inject at least $100 million — putting potential investment near $500 million. Ronaldo's own position on the reported participation has not been stated publicly.
• The response: RedBird, replying to an inquiry, said it "declines to comment on the matter at this time." The firm fully owns Italy's AC Milan and France's Toulouse, and holds a stake of more than 10% in English club Liverpool.

Background

PIF took control of four leading Saudi clubs in summer 2023 as part of a privatization drive, then expanded its Al Nassr holding to full ownership. The spending wave that followed brought Ronaldo and a series of high-value signings to the Saudi Pro League.

Between the lines

The debt figure and the sale track are moving together. Settling SAR 800 million through sponsorship and commercial revenue, rather than fresh owner funding, produces a cleaner balance sheet for a buyer — and the league's tightened monitoring, which already froze Al Nassr out of the last window, makes that cleanup a precondition rather than an option. Ronaldo's contractual priority on 20% adds a party whose consent shapes any ownership structure.

What's next

Watch whether the RedBird-led consortium closes by the end of the current season, as its offer targets, and whether PIF confirms the structure of any stake sale or Ronaldo's reported participation.

Source: Asharq Bloomberg, Al-Riyadiah, A Bola