Al-Nassr are planning to go after additional high-profile players to join Cristiano Ronaldo on their roster as part of their plan to raise the prestige of the Saudi Pro League
This week, Al-Nassr pulled off the greatest transfer coup in their history by successfully concluding a deal for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or finally put pen to paper on a lucrative agreement last week, ending months of anticipation that he would become the highest-paid athlete in the world. The deal will make him the highest-paid player in the world. It is anticipated that Ronaldo, who is now 37 years old, will spend the majority of his twilight years in Saudi Arabia in the hope that his arrival will bring football to new heights in the Middle East.
It is said that rather than resting on their laurels, Al-Nassr have their sights set on a slew of other high-profile individuals to line up alongside Ronaldo in the upcoming months. Below are five well-known players who could potentially play alongside Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.
1. Luka Modric
After being a key figure in Croatia’s run to the World Cup semifinals and seemingly extending his stay at Real Madrid for another year, Al-Nassr has indicated that he would like to see the veteran playmaker make a move in the near future. This, despite the fact that Modric is expected to continue his role as a starter for Real Madrid in the upcoming season.
According to Marca, who report that the hierarchy of Al-Nassr had plans on reuniting Modric with Ronaldo, who he played together at the Bernabeu, this is the case.
Modric, who is 37 years old, has turned down offers from other clubs but has told those who are interested to come back in 2024. This indicates that he could be tempted away from Madrid next summer for one final payday before hanging up his boots. Modric has told interested parties to return in 2024.
2. Sergio Ramos
According to the same report from Marca, Al-Nassar are also interested in signing Ramos, whose contract with Paris Saint-Germain is going to be up for renewal in the summer.
Even though Ramos, who is 36 years old, is still a regular for the French giants, there is a strong possibility that he may be convinced to take on a new challenge if he chooses to run down his contract in Paris.
If everything went according to plan, the three-man Real Madrid reunion of Ronaldo, Modric, and the former World Cup and Champions League winner would be completed by the inclusion of the former World Cup and Champions League champion to the Saudi Arabian league.
3. N’Golo Kante
Kante is a former two-time winner of the Premier League, and he has been one of the most effective midfielders in recent history of the top flight of English football; but, his long-term future at Chelsea is still not at all guaranteed.
The Blues and the 31-year-old player, who will be a free agent in the summer and has been linked with a move elsewhere, have not been able to reach an agreement on new contract terms.
Recent reports have suggested that Barcelona have been in negotiations with the Frenchman regarding a pre-contract deal. On the other hand, Sport is speculating that Al-Nassr could try to hijack the move and attempt to attract Kante to the Middle East.
4. Roberto Firmino
There has been no resolution to the contract impasse between Liverpool and Firmino, and it has come to light that the Brazilian forward is yet another high-profile star who is attracting interest from the Middle East.
It has been stated that Al-Nassr is not currently among the clubs that are displaying an interest in Firmino; however, it is possible that this will alter over the course of the next few weeks.
The most recent information suggests that Firmino is now ‘leaning towards’ extending his stay at Anfield. However, there is a good chance that there will be continued interest in the 31-year-old player until a trade is finalized.
5. Toni Kroos
In the event that Al-Nassr are unsuccessful in persuading Modric to relocate to the Middle East, they may shift their focus to Kroos.
The Bernabeu maestro, who will turn 34 this year, is also scheduled to become a free agent in the summer and might be enticed to play abroad for one last experience before hanging up his trophies-laden boots for good.
Carlo Ancelotti stated not too long ago that he believed German playmaker Toni Kroos would not be going on from Real Madrid. As a result, Real Madrid is interested in extending Kroos’ Bernabeu stay.