Saudi Arabia are on the hunt for more talent to join their Saudi pro league in a concerted effort to grow the domestic game in the middle east after the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in January, and have lined up five more stars to do so.
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in January after leaving Manchester United by mutual consent in November, leaving a glittering European career behind.
And he has wasted no time getting started, bringing up his 10th and 11th goal in just his 9th outing, against Al Adalah, in what turned out to be a comfortable 5-0 win.
Speaking about the division while on international duty with Portugal, Ronaldo was keen to promote the potential that football in Saudi Arabia could have, and eluded to the grand ideas that those in charge in the top flight had to get it there.
“I think you should look at the [Saudi Pro League] in a different way. I’m not going to say that the league is a Premier League, that would be a lie,” he said.
“But it’s a very competitive league that I’m positively surprised by, a very balanced league and good teams. I am sure that in the coming years the league will be…the fourth, fifth or sixth most competitive league in the world.”
Five stars lined up
But he is not alone. They add that ‘Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema have all received sizeable offers to continue their career in the gulf’, with all three now in the twilight years of their playing careers.
‘Al-Ittihad are understood to have made a pitch to Benzema and are said to be optimistic that he will be convinced to depart Real Madrid when his contract expires at the end of the season’, it is claimed.
Also on the radar is Chelsea midfielder and World Cup winner N’Golo Kante, with Ronaldo’s Al Nassr reportedly monitoring his Chelsea situation.
