Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal teammate set to leave current club amid interest from Al-Nassr: Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal teammate Pepe is reportedly making preparations to leave FC Porto this summer, where he has played since January 2019. Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are among the clubs interested in signing the 41-year-old centre-back.
According to A Bola, the former Real Madrid defender wants to remain with the Portuguese giants for one more season. He believes he has the strength to keep going for another season at Porto, having played in seven Champions League games for them during the 2023-24 campaign.
However, the club might want Pepe to leave this summer as they look to rejuvenate their squad and plan for the future. According to the report, Pepe has already received an offer from Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. A move to the Saudi Pro League club would also see him reunite with compatriots Alex Telles and Otavio.
With head coach Andre Villas-Boas and Pepe set to have a discussion about the defender's future, it'll be interesting to see how the summer transfer window progresses.
The Saudi giants aren't his only suitors though, with clubs in Brazil, Qatar, and Turkey reportedly showing interest.
Cristiano Ronaldo "very happy" after winning Saudi Pro League's top goalscorer award
If Pepe joins Al-Nassr, he will play alongside an in-form Cristiano Ronaldo, who took the Saudi Pro League by storm in 2023-24. The super striker scored 35 goals in just 31 games, breaking the league's all-time scoring record.
Ronaldo collected the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 Golden Boot. Talking about his achievement, he said (via The National News):
“It means a lot. I feel very happy. It’s probably one of the best seasons I’ve ever had in my career in terms of goals but assists too. To be honest it means a lot because it’s my work. I have to be honest and say it’s not something I was looking for at the beginning of the season but over time I started to see that it was possible."
"So, I have the opportunity to say thank you to my teammates because without the team nothing individually would have been possible – but I feel very proud to beat the Saudi league record. It’s great for me, I feel happy, and this is my motivation to play football, to train every time and to carry on like that."
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 58 goals in just 64 games across all competitions while playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. However, this has not yielded major trophies, as Al-Hilal pipped them to the double this season, winning the league and the King's Cup.