“I wish we had someone like him” - Xabi Alonso’s old comments on Cristiano Ronaldo resurface amid recent Bayer Leverkusen transfer links
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso's comments on Cristiano Ronaldo from 2016 have resurfaced amid rumours linking the Portuguese superstar with a shock move to the newly crowned Bundesliga champions. The Spaniard's comments came from his time as a Bayern Munich player, while Ronaldo was plying his trade at Real Madrid.
The 14-time Champions League winners signed Alonso (€34.5 million) and Ronaldo (€94 million) in a mega transfer window in the summer of 2009. They also signed Kaka (€67 million) and Karim Benzema (€35 million) in the same window, setting them up for success over the next five years.
Alonso and Cristiano played 208 games together, with the former assisting the latter eight times and the latter repaying the favour on two occasions. After Alonso transferred to Bayern Munich in 2014, he has always been outspoken in his praise for the Portuguese superstar.
In an interview with Onda Cero in 2016, the Spaniard praised Cristiano's incredible finishing, technical ability and footballing IQ. He said (via TeamTALK):
“Cristiano has adapted on the pitch. He’s not a central striker, [but] he wants to play closer to the area. He intuitively knows where the ball will go – a lot of goals are scored with his first touch. I think he’s done very well, having taken this step and getting closer to the area."
He then expressed his willingness to have someone of Cristiano's calibre at the Allianz Arena, adding:
"As long as he’s getting 50 goals, I wish we had someone like him here. Cristiano’s numbers are amazing, indisputable.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is still nearing 50 goals for the season even at 39 years of age
In an interview in 2016, current Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso claimed that any team would love to have Cristiano Ronaldo as long as he's getting 50 goals a season. As it stands, the Portuguese forward is nearing the milestone for the seventh time in his career.
With a goal in Al-Nassr's 3-2 win against Al Akhdoud, Cristiano's tally for the 2023-24 campaign sits at 42 goals and 12 assists in 41 games across all competitions.
The Portuguese superstar has netted a staggering four hattricks this season, against Al-Fateh, Al-Taee, Abha Club and Al-Wehda respectively. His impressive performances have earned him four Saudi Pro League Player of the Month awards in the 2023-24 campaign alone.
Ronaldo is also set to lead Portugal at the UEFA European Championships, which is set to commence on Friday, June 14. The top-scorer from the previous edition (five goals), he will be hoping to lead Portugal to their third international trophy after their Euro 2016 and 2019 Nations League triumphs.