Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr looking to sign 26-year-old PL star in the summer - Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are reportedly interested in signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta in the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to ESPN correspondent Rob Dawson (via Al Nassr Zone), the Saudi Pro League side are looking to sign a creative midfielder this summer and are interested in the 26-year-old Brazilian.
However, Al-Nassr might face trouble signing the West Ham United star because he was accused by the Football Association of spot-fixing. The FA said that the 26-year-old got booked four times deliberately during matches.
As per the Sun, Lucas Paqueta also asked former West Ham United manager David Moyes to be rested for a Premier League game, but he eventually agreed to play the match. If the West Ham midfielder is found guilty of the charges, he could be banned from the sport for up to 10 years.
The Brazilian midfielder joined West Ham from Olympique Lyon in September 2020 on a reported £51 million transfer. Since then, the 26-year-old has become a key part of the Premier League side. Paqueta has made 84 appearances for West Ham across competitions, registering 13 goals and 14 assists.
Last season, he made 43 appearances across competitions for the Hammers, bagging eight goals and seven assists. Despite being a midfielder, Lucus Paqueta also played as a left winger for West Ham.
Apart from Al-Nassr, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City have also been linked with the Brazilian midfielder for a long time.
Gabriel Martinelli hails Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol
Arsenal attacker Gabriel Martinelli has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as his idol. The Brazilian also said that he watched Cristiano Ronaldo play at Real Madrid as a child (via MadridXtra):
"My idol? I always liked Cristiano Ronaldo. As a child, I watched his games at Real Madrid."
Gabriel Martinelli is one of the key players in Mikel Arteta's squad. The Brazilian arrived from Ituano in 2019 for a reported fee of £6 million.
After a slow start, he became a key part of the side. Gabriel Martinelli has made 174 appearances for the Gunners across competitions, bagging 41 goals and 24 assists.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is leading Portugal at the 2024 Euro Championships. A Selecao recorded a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic in their Group F opener on Tuesday, June 18, in Leipzig.