Al-Nassr decide to sell or loan Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate this summer following club manager Luis Castro's instructions - Reports
Al-Nassr are reportedly open to selling or loaning Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate Alex Telles this summer. The latter spent just under three years at Manchester United before leaving them in the summer of 2023.
In doing so, Telles followed his former Red Devils teammate, Ronaldo, to Al-Nassr in a €4.6 million deal. The two have shared the pitch 51 times, with 31 of those appearances coming for Faris Najd.
However, the duo could now be separated for the second time in as many years. According to Saudi outlet Arriyadhiah (via @centraldoarabao on X), Al-Nassr are open to letting Telles leave, be it permanently or on loan.
@NFCWorld1 on X adds that this request has come directly from manager Luis Castro.
A temporary move could be complicated, given the 15-cap Brazil international is already in the last year of his deal; otherwise, he could leave on a free transfer next year. He has racked up three goals and five assists in 34 matches for his new club but has been out of action in recent weeks due to a health issue.
The 31-year-old still has years ahead of him as a top quality footballer and his crossing and deadball abilities may draw admirers. Al-Nassr, meanwhile, are already working on a replacement for Telles, with a reported 18 million SAR (~€4.39m) move for Al-Waeda left-back Salem Al-Najdi in the works.
Alex Telles said Cristiano Ronaldo played a role in his Al-Nassr transfer
Alex Telles was arguably in need of a transfer to rekindle his career after the end of the 2021-22 season. He made 21 league appearances that campaign and his playing time was expected to drop further after Erik ten Hag signed Tyrell Malacia.
Telles was subsequently loaned out to Sevilla for a season, where he made three assists in 38 games across competitions. He was then offloaded to Al-Nassr at the end of last season — a move that Cristiano Ronaldo apparently helped with.
Speaking about his transfer to the Saudi giants, Telles told Sapo Desporto (via CaughtOffside) in February:
"Cristiano Ronaldo was a very important factor in me coming here. We exchanged messages beforehand, my agent was involved, but obviously, being the legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the greatness that he is, that we’ve known since Manchester United, clearly made it easier for me to come.
“We talked a lot, he told me what the club was like and that he was looking forward to me coming. I’m happy to have an athlete and human being like him… with all his dedication to getting me here. So all the effort I put in for myself is also for him, for Al-Nassr and for all the players who are here."
Ronaldo, 39, is still going strong at Al-Nassr and ended last season with a remarkable tally of 44 goals and 13 assists in 45 matches.