Everyone has had their say on why Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for Al-Nassr, but only a select few know how.
The 37-year-old superstar, arguably the most famous footballer of all time, understandably keeps a close circle and is meticulous over the moves he makes - on and off the pitch. For more than 20 years, Jorge Mendes was the man guiding Ronaldo's career; taking him from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United, then to Real Madrid, then Juventus and back to United again.
But when it came time for the Portuguese striker to engineer his next transfer, Mendes wasn't the man behind it. After putting pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal with his new Saudi Arabian employers - which will see Ronaldo earn £173million in the Middle East - it's emerged who was in charge of negotiations: Ricardo Regufe.
But who is he?
Having first crossed paths in the early 2000s, as laid out in a detailed report by The Athletic, former Nike employee Regufe got to know Ronaldo through his work with the Portuguese national team. As they began to work together, aged 21 and 16 respectively, compatriot Regufe, who's based in Porto, was tasked with streamlining Ronaldo's commercial career.
Becoming good friends over the past two decades, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner eventually hired Regufe to be his personal manager in 2018, with Mendes still acting as his traditional agent. Despite his involvement in the Al-Nassr transfer, Regufe isn't classed an an agent but has dipped his toe into the sporting side of Ronaldo's life in its most tumultuous period yet.
Playing a key role in the Portugal captain's acrimonious departure from United in November, as the club terminated his £480,000-a-week contract following his now infamous interview with Piers Morgan, Regufe is evidently trusted by Ronaldo. However, he isn't a yes man.
It's explained that United often went through Regufe in order to get their No.7, their prized asset in the commercial realm, involved in appearances for the Red Devils away from the pitch. He'd regularly be in dialogue with people at the club ranging from chief executive Richard Arnold to those in the communication department.
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It's even been reported that Regufe, alongside Mendes, advocated for the former Real Madrid hero to stay put at Old Trafford and fight for his place over the course of Erik ten Hag's first season as manager. Ten Hag had also pleaded with Ronaldo to stay, but the Red Devils boss' attempts to convince him to get on board with his rebuild failed.
And with regard to the 90-minute, mud-slinging interview with Morgan, Regufe is alleged to have joined Mendes in warning Ronaldo of the potential consequences of airing his dirty laundry in public. He ignored the pair, and went ahead and sat down with the notorious TV presenter before slamming the likes of Ten Hag, owners the Glazer family and his former United teammates.
Now, the ex-Juventus talisman has a new challenge in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, where he'll no doubt-be keen to maximise his brand and capitalise on the Asian market. And so too will Regufe, with his reputation markedly enhanced by the recent move.
Having travelled to the Middle East to finalise Ronaldo's deal, his name will be much more well-known in the wake of the seismic transfer. Regufe's LinkedIn page - on which he's endorsed by Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward - champions his relationship with 'CR7', as he proudly notes his "game-changing" signing of Ronaldo for Nike during the duo's early days in the football industry.
"There's no finish line," his profile adds. There may well be one for Ronaldo, though, and that's likely to be in Riyadh.
