With Al-Nassr set to finish second in the Saudi Pro League for a second consecutive season, the club already have their eye on some of Europe’s biggest stars.
In many ways, Cristiano Ronaldo set the trend for players to move to Saudi Arabia after he completed the lucrative move to Al-Nassr in January last year.
Since moving to the Middle East, he’s scored a whopping 61 goals in just 65 games and has also provided 14 assists in that time too.
On the back of Ronaldo making the switch, fellow superstars like Neymar, Karim Benzema and Riyad Mahrez have also been attracted to the league.
We’ve taken a closer look at the latest rumours swirling around Al-Nassr and have found five superstars that have been tipped to link up with Ronaldo this summer.
Kevin De Bruyne
The Belgian playmaker was fancied by clubs in Saudi last summer, but the 32-year-old ultimately decided to stay put in Manchester for the time being.
With the summer transfer window now fast approaching, Saudi clubs have been tipped to rekindle their interest in De Bruyne once again.
According to Rudy Galetti, Al-Nassr remain interested in De Bruyne ahead of the summer. They currently have the likes of Marcelo Brozovic and Otavio as options in midfield, but could use an extra creative player or two.
De Bruyne has previously spoken about his admiration for Ronaldo and it would be quite the sight to see both players linking up next season.
“I would probably say Ronaldo because he’s more of a typical striker,” De Bruyne said when asked if he would rather play with Lionel Messi or Ronaldo.
His current contract at the Etihad is valid until 2025, but there does seem to be a growing feeling that he could depart at the end of the season.
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Casemiro
The Brazilian midfielder was useful enough during his debut season at Man Utd, but there’s no denying that he’s been way off the pace this year.
The Red Devils seem ready to offload Casemiro at the next given opportunity and according to the latest reports, the Saudi Pro League could be his next destination.
As per CaughtOffside, Al-Nassr are aiming to reunite Casemiro with Ronaldo this summer and the Saudi club could offer as much as £34m for the 32-year-old.
That would be a considerable loss to Man Utd, given the £70m they originally spent. However, given his decline this season, the club seems likely to accept such an offer.
Following a disastrous performance against Crystal Palace, Jamie Carragher urged Man Utd to offload the Brazilan midfielder, who is no longer deemed good enough for the top level.
“Casemiro should know tonight as an experienced player that he should only have another three games left at the top level – the next two [Premier] league games and the [FA] cup final – then he should be thinking I need to go to the MLS or Saudi,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“I always remember something when I retired myself, and there was a saying I always remember as a footballer: ‘Leave the football, before the football leaves you.’
“The football has left him – at this top level. He needs to call it a day at this level of football and move.”
Emerson Royal
Al-Nassr had a £21m bid rejected for the Tottenham full-back in January and it stands to reason that they could rekindle their interest in him come the summer.
His current deal at Spurs is valid until 2026, although he’s not been a regular starter under Ange Postecoglou up until this point.
In the Premier League, he’s only started in 11 games as Pedro Porro has firmly been ahead of him in the pecking order. If the 25-year-old is open to leaving the club, Al-Nassr could come calling once again.
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Bruno Fernandes
The Man Utd playmaker recently opened a can of worms when discussing his future as he told reporters: “Obviously, it doesn’t just depend on me, does it?
“A player always has to want to be here, but at the same time, you have to want him to stay. At the moment, I feel there’s that on both sides.
“I’m not thinking too much about the future, not least because, obviously, this season hasn’t been at the level I’d hoped for, either individually or collectively, so far.
“So, if you want me to be very honest, if I have to think about not continuing in the Premier League, it won’t be until after the Euros because nothing will be able to take my focus away from the FA Cup final and the Euros, as there’s nothing more important than that at the moment.”
Fernandes was a top target for Al-Hilal in January and according to Record, the Saudi club will come in with an ‘astronomical offer’ to sign him this summer.
Al-Nassr were also reportedly eyeing Fernandes last summer and it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see them rekindle their interest in the 29-year-old.
Nacho Fernandez
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Real Madrid captain has ‘no intention’ of staying in Europe once his current contract expires at the end of the season.
The 34-year-old is wanted by clubs in MLS and Saudi Arabia and Al-Nassr will no doubt be among the clubs who are interested.
However, according to Marca, Nacho has his heart set on a move to MLS which will no doubt come as a blow to the Saudi clubs who are interested.
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Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
