Ronaldo in town to sign endorsement deal
Real Madrid and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will arrive in Singapore for a whistle-stop trip today.
The 32-year-old is here to sign a "major" endorsement deal, before jetting off to China, according to a media statement by Mint Media yesterday.
Mint Media, owned by Singaporean billionaire and La Liga club Valencia owner Peter Lim, has administered the image rights for the football star, except for those relating to Real Madrid, since 2015.
Yesterday afternoon, the footballer tweeted a picture of himself on the tarmac at an undisclosed location, in front of a Gulfstream G550 private jet owned by sports giant Nike.
One of his representatives, Luis Correia, arrived at Changi Airport yesterday afternoon from Frankfurt, but declined to talk to the media.
Correia is a nephew of Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes and helps run the latter's talent agency Gestifude.
DINNER DATE
After signing the deal, Ronaldo - who is also a brand ambassador for the likes of Nike, Herbal Life, Abbott, Tag Heuer and Electronic Arts - will have dinner with Lim, who enjoys a good relationship with the Portugal captain.
According to a Straits Times article, he will be making his way to Thomson Medical Centre today to visit Lim, his daughter Kim, 24, and her three-day-old baby boy.
A spokesman for Lim said that Ms Lim had tied the knot earlier and would prefer to keep her husband's identity under wraps. The wedding ceremony will be held next year.
Ronaldo's future at the Bernabeu has been in doubt since the end of last season, as he was said to be "deeply unhappy" after coming under investigation for tax fraud in Spain.
He is on an extended pre-season break, following his recent exertions at the Confederations Cup in Russia, where Portugal finished third.
He was recently seen holidaying with his pregnant girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez in Ibiza, and will not feature for Real at the International Champions Cup in the US, after his name was omitted by the Los Blancos from the travelling squad.
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