Al-Nassr: What players would Cristiano Ronaldo be playing alongside in Saudi Arabia?

Cristiano Ronaldo would have a brand-new set of teammates to adapt to upon making his potential move to Al-Nassr. But who would the Portugal legend play alongside if he ventures to Saudi Arabia?

After leaving Man United following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo is a free agent. Unfortunately, his prospects of finding a new club have proven difficult, despite his status as one of football’s greatest-ever players.

Recently, reports emerged of an outrageous offer for Ronaldo to play in the Middle East. Per The Guardian, a proposed contract from Al Nassr could earn CR7 an eye-watering £173 million per season. This absolutely insane deal, running to 2025, would see Ronaldo leave European football behind.

However, at the same time, it would be a landmark coup for Saudi Arabian football. On the back of the World Cup in Qatar, the Portuguese forward’s arrival would be great for the exposure of the sport in the Middle East, too.

But according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, this deal is not near completion. Yesterday, Romano tweeted that sponsorship and image rights are a big stumbling block – and still need to be agreed. Also, Ronaldo is focused on winning Portugal their first-ever World Cup.

Who doesn’t love some transfer talk, though? And, with this in mind, let’s have a look at whom Cristiano Ronaldo may line up with at Al-Nassr.

Al-Nassr: will Cristiano Ronaldo see some familiar faces?

Firstly, Arsenal fans may recognise the name of the man between the sticks for the Saudi side. David Ospina, formerly of the Gunners and Napoli, joined Al-Nassr during the summer transfer window. He has so far kept four clean sheets in seven matches.

Another potential teammate for Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr is Luiz Gustavo. The former Bayern Munich midfielder has been impactful in the Gulf Kingdom this season, scoring four times. Considering he only scored on six occasions in 100 appearances at Bayern, this is good going.

Additionally, Cameroon’s World Cup star, Vincent Aboubakar, plays for the Saudi League team. He joined Al-Nassr in 2021, following spells at Porto and Besiktas. Aboubakar has registered 11 goals in 35 appearances for his latest club – and is the current starting striker.

Therefore, if Ronaldo does make his move to the Middle East, the Cameroon forward may find minutes hard to come by.

But how are Al-Nassr doing this season?

2022/23 Saudi Professional League – so far

Currently, the 18-time Saudi champions are second in the standings. After eight matches, they sit three points behind the leaders, Al Shabab. Al-Nassr have six wins, a draw, and a loss on their record.

In a further boost, Al-Nassr have plenty of time to catch the leaders, too. Because of their country’s involvement in the World Cup, the Saudi league stopped in October. So, there are still 22 of the 30 games remaining to overturn the three-point deficit.

Led by Gustavo and fellow Brazilian Talisca, Al-Nassr claimed a comfortable 4-0 victory in their last match before the World Cup break. They will hope to maintain such form when the league re-starts on 15 December.

Featured image credit: Getty