"I would say maybe Cristiano" - Kevin De Bruyne's old comments about potentially playing with Cristiano Ronaldo resurface amid links to Al-Nassr
Kevin De Bruyne's old comments on Cristiano Ronaldo have resurfaced amid Al-Nassr recently being linked to the Manchester City superstar.
According to journalist Khaled Al-Nafei, Al-Nassr have identified Kevin De Bruyne as their top target in the January transfer window. The former recently tweeted the following on X (formerly Twitter):
"The Al-Nassr management of the Player Recruitment Committee raised the name of the Belgian Manchester City player, De Bruyne. The player is the team's first target in the upcoming winter period. Difficult, but God writes goodness."
Even though, Al-Nassr have bolstered their midfield over the summer, acquiring Marcelo Brozovic, Otavio, and Seko Fofana, their interest in De Bruyne comes as no surprise.
Despite not quite being in his prime anymore, the 32-year-old is still one of the best creative midfielders in the world. The Manchester City ace has scored 96 goals and registered 153 assists in 358 appearances across all competitions for Manchester City, helping them win 14 trophies.
Al-Nassr are likely to struggle to convince De Bruyne to cut his Man City tenure short to join Al-Nassr this January. However, fans will be more confident after hearing what he had to say about Cristiano Ronaldo.
In an interview with Sky Sports back in 2020, De Bruyne said (via The Statesman):
“I would look to strikers, someone like Thierry Henry, my coach at Belgium. Even someone like Cristiano, for me as a creative player you know he is going to be there so I want someone quick who can go deep, that would help me a lot."
“For what I do, strikers are the main importance. Cristiano, I could cross it three metres higher and know he is still going to get it,” he added.
The full clip can be viewed below:
De Bruyne would be a massive signing for Al-Nassr and would almost certainly bring out the best of Cristiano Ronaldo. Unfortunately, the Belgian is expected to be sidelined for two to three months more after suffering a serious hamstring injury in August.
Who do Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr play next?
Al-Nassr have made a strong start to their season in the Saudi Pro League. Luis Castro's men are currently fourth in the standings with 22 points from 10 games, four points behind leaders Al-Hilal. They are also flawless to date in the AFC Champions League and King Cup of Champions.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. next face Al-Feiha away from home in the league on Saturday, October 28. They will then host Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq at home in the King Cup of Champions Round of 16 on Tuesday, October 31.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be hoping to continue his stellar form in both fixtures. The Portugal icon has netted 14 goals and provided seven assists in 13 appearances across all competitions.