Al-Nassr set to offer €60m to sign Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal teammate this summer - Reports
If reports are to be believed, Al Nassr are all set to bid for Cristiano Ronaldo's Portuguese teammate, Otavio. The 28-year-old attacking midfielder is currently plying his trade at FC Porto.
Al Nassr are apparently going all out for this transfer, with the Saudi outfit expected to submit an initial bid of €60 million for the Portuguese international (via Record).
Otavio has been with Porto since 2016, racking up 31 goals and 75 assists in 283 appearances for the Dragons. The former Internacional attacker also has 14 caps for his national side, even managing to secure a place in Portugal's final 26-man shortlist for the 2022 World Cup.
Additionally, the fact that Otavio has already shared the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo makes him an ideal candidate for the SPL giants.
Born in Brazil, the Porto man kicked off his international career with Seleção before switching allegiances to Portugal.
Interestingly enough, this will be the second time in the current transfer window that Otavio has been linked with a move to Al Nassr.
The Portuguese international was rumored to join the Saudi outfit a month ago, but Cristiano Ronaldo made sure to distance himself from the speculations.
Talking to reporters about persuading his international teammate to join his club, the former Real Madrid goal machine stated (via Goal):
Many players are spoken about, I do not speak because I am not an agent. Otavio is spoken about, like 10 or 15 others who have spoken, there is still no news.
On being asked if Al Nassr had finalised the transfer for Otavio, Ronaldo said:
Totally a lie. They [the media] release the news, but nothing has been finalized. We know that we are going to reinforce, that is clear, but still nothing concrete.
Having refuted the claims before, it will be exciting to see how Cristiano Ronaldo responds to his side's massive reported bid for his international compatriot.
Cristiano Ronaldo is most likely to have more high-profile teammates soon
The 38-year-old forward has already boosted the footing of his side by pushing the entire Saudi Pro League into the limelight.
Ronaldo's popularity, mixed with the Middle East's riches, has enabled Al Nassr to sign some major players of the game, including Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles, and Sadio Mane.
Nevertheless, if manager Luis Castro is to be trusted, the Saudi club will be welcoming more foreign players to Al-Awwal Park.
Following their victory in the semi-finals of the Arab Club Champions Cup, Castro revealed to the media that he had asked the club for a foreign center-back.
Al Nassr has since gone on to win the said competition, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting a brace in the final.