One of the wealthiest sports stars on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo has more money than most of us would probably know what to do with in five lifetimes.

Per Forbes' 2022 World's Highest-Paid Athletes Earnings list, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner earned $115 million (£97.5m) last year, swelling his overall net worth to a colossal $500m (£424m).

Currently, Ronaldo ranks as the third highest-earning sportsman in the world. However, according to reports, the 37-year-old has recently received an offer from an unknown Saudi Arabian club that would put him top of the tree by a considerable margin.

Despite still having a year left to run on his deal at Manchester United, Ronaldo indicated to club chiefs last month that he wanted to leave Old Trafford this summer.

Seemingly with his eyes on joining one of Europe's elite, Ronaldo has attracted little in the way of serious interest from the world's top sides.

While the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Chelsea may have passed on his services, one Saudi club is believed to be ready to pay Ronaldo £211m over the course of two seasons if he joins their ranks.

Cristiano Ronaldo

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 11: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford on September 11, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

If the figures reported by CNN Portugal are accurate, Ronaldo would be in line to pocket an eye-watering £2m every single week, far exceeding the salary of any other sports figure.

The Manchester United man has yet to comment on the dizzying offer. That Ronaldo would ditch European football for the Saudi Professional League seems doubtful given that it would effectively end his career at the game's top level.

That said, we are talking crazy money here - and several players down the years have opted for cash over competition.

With that in mind, we've put together a complete XI of players who cashed in when offered a lucrative overseas deal.

An XI of stars who 'followed the money'

GK: Gordon Banks (Fort Lauderdale Strikers)

England's 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Banks was effectively retired by doctors after he lost his right eye in a 1972 car accident.

Some five years later, however, he was tempted out of retirement by a substantial offer to play in the North American Soccer League.

Ever the professional, Banks performed admirably whilst in Florida. He was even voted Goalkeeper of the Year by the league in his debut season.

CB: Toby Alderweireld (Al-Duhail SC)

The Belgian defender raised many eyebrows when he left Tottenham to play in Qatar last summer. His spell at Al Duhail lasted just one year, during which time he was paid a salary of £4m (per wtfoot.com).

Not Ronaldo money by any means, but not bad work if you can get it. Alderweireld made an emotional return to hometown club Royal Antwerp last week, significantly richer for his spell in Qatar.

Toby Alderweireld

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - JUNE 16: Toby Alderweireld of Belgium reacts during the Belgium Training Session ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 Group B match between Denmark and Belgium at Parken Stadium on June 16, 2021 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

CB: Chris Samba (Anzhi Makhachkala)

We'll never forget Anzhi's wonderfully bonkers spending spree between 2011 and 2013, which saw Samba sign for the maverick outfit twice.

First persuaded to move to the Russian Premier League side in February 2012 with a £100,000-a-week contract, Samba was on the move again when Queens Park Rangers came calling.

Shortly after the Hoops were relegated from the Premier League, though, Anzhi brought Samba back to the club. We can't imagine he took much of a pay-cut from his initial salary.

CB: Roberto Carlos (Anzhi Makhachkala)

Legendary Brazilian left-back Carlos had a Bugatti Veyron valued at £1m waiting for him as a signing bonus when he touched down in Russia. Just another example of Anzhi's insane spending problem.

Robert Carlos at Anzhi

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - AUGUST 14: Roberto Carlos of FC Anzhi Makhachkala in action during the Russian Football League Championship match between FC Spartak Moscow and FC Anzhi Makhachkala at the Luzhniki Stadium on August 14, 2011 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Dmitry Korotayev/Epsilon/Getty Images)

DM: Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian)

Anzhi were a single club who liked to spend lavishly. Until a spending cap was introduced in 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese Super League was an entire competition of big spenders.

The vast sums of money available in the Far East attracted some of the world's top players, including Witsel.

Banking a reported salary of more than £15m-a-year, Witsel was brutally honest about the motivation behind his move to China.

He called his bumper contract "a crucial offer for my family that I couldn't turn down".

CM: Oscar (Shanghai SIPG)

A two-time Premier League winner with Chelsea, Oscar traded west London for China's biggest city in 2017 - and earned £25m-per-year in the process.

The 30-year-old remains with the club to this day.

Oscar at Chelsea

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 13: Oscar of Chelsea reacts during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge on January 13, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

LW: Alex Teixeira (Jiangsu Suning)

Jiangsu beat Liverpool to Teixeira's signature in early 2016, showing the CSL's financial might at the time. The Brazilian was compensated to the tune of £200,000-a-week, spending five years with the club.

RW: Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang)

Following his £27m move from Atletico Madrid in 2018, Carrasco profited to the tune of £180,000-a-week. How much of a comfort that money was when his new side lost 8-0 on his debut, though, we don't now.

He was back at Atletico within two years.

SS: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain)

The world's most expensive player following his £198m switch from Barcelona in 2017, Neymar bagged a contract that sees him earn a massive £40.8m a year in Paris - more than teammate Lionel Messi.

Neymar could be on the move this summer, but will do well to match his current salary elsewhere.

Neymar

PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 15: Neymar of Paris Saint-Germain reacts during the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen First Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid at Parc des Princes on February 15, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

SS: Ezequiel Lavezzi (Hebei China Fortune)

The highest-paid player in CSL history at an outrageous £798,000-a-week, Lavezzi headed to China after leaving PSG in 2016.

He stayed at the club for four seasons, piling up cash at an astonishing rate. He retired in 2019, having scored 35 goals in 75 games.

CF: Carlos Tevez (Shanghai Shenhua)

Tevez wasn't a fan of his time in China, admitting afterwards: "I was on vacation for seven months. When I landed in China, I wanted to return to Boca."

He didn't like the food, insulted the standard of local players and angered fans by taking a trip to Disneyland while he was supposed to be injured.

Tevez banked a fortune while on "vacation", however. Per the Daily Mail, he was on a £650,000-a-week contract in the Far East - a total haul of £34m from his spell.

Players who took lucrative foreign deals XI