“Come to the Saudi League and share the fun with us” - Cristiano Ronaldo sends bold transfer message to footballers in Europe
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has implored all the great players in Europe's top divisions to join him in the Saudi Pro League.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner shocked the football world when he opted to join Al-Nassr in January 2023 after this underwhelming second stint at Manchester United. Ronaldo signed a lucrative two-and-a-half-year deal reported to be worth $200 million per annum.
Cristiano Ronaldo's presence in the Saudi Pro League catapulted the division to new levels on a global scale, with millions of fans tuning in weekly to witness the action.
After a decent 2022-23 campaign, Ronaldo's popularity inspired numerous superstars from Europe to join him in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Nassr signed the likes of Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte, Otavio, and Marcelo Brozovic. On the other hand, their rivals Al-Hilal signed Neymar and Kalidou Koulibaly, while Al-Ittihad were able to acquire Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, and Fabinho.
Cristiano Ronaldo was amongst the goals as Al-Nassr defeated Al-Taawoun 4-1 in their league clash on Saturday, December 31. Following the game, the Portugal ace praised the development of the Saudi Pro League. He said (via @TheNassrZone):
“I am very happy about the development of the Saudi League currently. I mentioned previously that this league will become one of the best leagues in the world and people were making fun of my words, but their words do not matter now because the league is developing greatly.”
He added:
“The whole world is following the Saudi Pro League now.”
The 38-year-old then sent an open request to the superstars in Europe to join him in the Middle East:
“To all the great players in Europe, come to the Saudi League and share the fun with us.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in exceptional form this season and appears to be enjoying his football again. He has netted 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 25 appearances across all competitions so far.
Who was the Player of the Match in the SPL fixture between Al-Taawoun vs Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr?
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr cruised to a dominant 4-1 win against Al-Taawoun away from home in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. Marcelo Brozovic, Aymeric Laporte, Otavio, and Ronaldo scored one goal apiece during their victory. Let us take a look at who the Player of the Match was.
As per FotMob, Marcelo Brozovic was given the highest rating of any player on the pitch (8.8). He scored a 30-yard stunner, provided an assist, and created four big chances.
Moreover, the 31-year-old completed 73 out of his 80 passes with an accuracy of 91 percent and 16 out of his 18 long balls with an accuracy of 89 percent.
The Croatian has been in fine form this season, scoring three goals and providing six assists in 23 appearances in total.