Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al Nassr to battle for Barcelona star: Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr will go head-to-head with Al-Hilal to sign Barcelona attacker Ansu Fati in the upcoming transfer window, as per Fichajes. Fati has been with Barcelona since 2012 and rose through the youth ranks, making his senior team debut in 2020.
Once billed as the next greatest star at Camp Nou, Ansu Fati has made 119 appearances for the first team, bagging 29 goals and ten assists. Last season, he was loaned out to Brighton & Hove Albion, where he only scored four and assisted one goal in 27 matches. Since returning to Catalonia from Brighton earlier this summer, the Spanish forward has struggled to make a mark under Hansi Flick.
Fati has made seven appearances for Barcelona this season, having played only 158 minutes across competitions. Due to a lack of minutes and constant injuries, he's expected to leave the La Liga giants in 2025. Amid reports of his departure, the 22-year-old has also garnered the interest of Saudi Pro League clubs.
As per the aforementioned report, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are interested in securing the Spanish attacker's services. His ongoing contract with La Blaugrana will expire in the summer of 2027, but he's currently on the sidelines due to a muscle injury.
Apart from Fati, former Manchester City attacker Ferran Torres is also reportedly expected to leave the Camp Nou outfit in the upcoming summer transfer windows.
Barcelona star reflects on playing in the same era as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski recently talked about playing in the same era as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Bayern Munich forward is currently the top scorer in La Liga with 15 goals in 14 matches.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the leaders of the GOAT (greatest of all-time) debate. Talking about competing against the two football icons of his era, Lewandowski claimed he was proud to make an impact and break some records. The Polish forward said (via The Athletic):
"I have been playing football in the same era as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. I think I've been close to that elite level in some moments and even beat them in different games. I think we can say I was around!"
He added:
"It means a lot if you get close to guys like this. It makes me very proud to see that in the era of Messi and Ronaldo, sometimes, Lewandowski also managed to break some records and make an impact."
Robert Lewandowski joined La Blaugrana from Bayern Munich in July 2022. Since then, he has bagged 79 goals and 19 assists in 113 appearances across competitions.