Saudi Prince to watch Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo in action against Uruguay as he plots audacious transfer: Reports
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal will watch Cristiano Ronaldo in action against Uruguay as he looks to lure the Portuguese icon to Saudi Arabia, according to UOL Esporte.
Manchester United announced last week that they have parted ways with Cristiano Ronaldo by mutual consent. The forward had a contract with them until the end of the season, but had it terminated prematurely.
Now a free agent, Ronaldo is determined to lead Portugal to FIFA World Cup glory in Qatar. He even scored in the team's 3-2 victory over Ghana in their opener last Thursday (24 November).
Meanwhile, parties interested in acquiring the 37-year-old's services are getting the ball rolling behind the scenes. Saudi Arabia are said to be particularly keen on luring him to the country.
Ronaldo notably turned down an offer worth £125 million per year from Saudi outfit Al-Hilal in the summer. Clubs in the Middle East nation, though, are tipped to make another attempt to sign him.
According to the aforementioned source, it is Prince Abdulaziz who is spearheading Saudi's efforts to sign Ronaldo. A member of the House of Saud, the ruling royal family, he is the sports minister of the country.
Saudi Arabia's sports minister tells me its government would "definitely support" private sector Saudi bids for Man Utd or Liverpool now they’re for sale.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal added he’d “love” to see Cristiano Ronaldo join Saudi league
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It has emerged that Prince Abdulaziz will be present at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar when Portugal face Uruguay in the FIFA World Cup today (28 November). He is particularly interested in seeing Ronaldo in action, as per the report.
Al-Hilal reportedly remain interested in landing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner despite facing rejection from him in the summer. Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr are also said to have joined the race this time.
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport is prepared to take money out of its own pocket to facilitate the transfer if the report is to be believed. However, Ronaldo remains keen on securing a move to the UEFA Champions League club.
Prince Abdulaziz is close with Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes
Prince Abdulaziz's relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorde Mendes could help Saudi Arabia in their efforts to lure the forward. The two have reportedly been close since Nuno Espirito Santo took charge of Al-Ittihad in July.
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers boss is notably represented by Mendes. It now remains to be seen if another Gestifute client, Cristiano Ronaldo, will move to the Middle East nation.
While Ronaldo is keen to join a European club, he has struggled to find buyers so far. He could thus be tempted to move to Saudi Arabia.