- Marca have suggested where Cristiano Ronaldo’s next destination could be
- Signing his friend Casemiro could helpd Al-Nassr keep hold of their prized star
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Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly asked Al-Nassr to sign Casemiro from Manchester United in what could be a critical factor determining his future.
The Portugal icon is in the last six months of his £175million-per-year contract with the Saudi Pro League side and is considering a move elsewhere.
He and Casemiro won 12 trophies together at Real Madrid, including four Champions Leagues and two LaLiga titles, while they also reunited at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag.
The pair are close friends and the move could be viable considering that United are open to selling the Brazilian and eager to offload his £350,000-a-week wages.
However, Mail Sport reported last week that fellow Saudi sides Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ittihad are also interested in the 32-year-old midfielder.
Marca reports that moving to the MLS is a potential option for Ronaldo, who is now 39. Conquering America has been an appealing option for some of the world’s greatest players, including Pele and Lionel Messi.
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly asked Al-Nassr to sign Casemiro, his former Real Madrid and Manchester United team-mate
CR7 is in the last six months of his £175million-per-year deal with the Saudi Pro League side
Manchester United are open to offloading Casemiro to chop his £350,000-per-week wages
Ronaldo’s former team-mate at Old Trafford, Wes Brown, has urged the forward to take the plunge stateside.
‘Cristiano Ronaldo has to go to America, especially given that Lionel Messi is there as well,’ he told The Sports Daily.
‘I’ve seen Ronaldo play a few times and it’s been a good standard, he is scoring goals and looking so fit for his age, still sprinting at 40. He wants to play for as long as he can and he’s a player who can hand pick where he wants to play next.
‘He won’t hang his boots up anytime soon and will keep breaking records. He has been to a few places now and I’d love to see him add America to the list.
‘He has been scoring more goals than Messi of late and it would be great to see them go head-to-head again.’
Saudi chiefs are said to be confident that they can keep hold of their crown jewel regardless, but landing Casemiro’s signature would be a boost to their hopes of keeping Ronaldo.
Like other sporting stars lured by the Saudi riyals, Ronaldo has become embedded in the nation’s football aspirations.
He is an ambassador for the 2023 Saudi World Cup, recently saying that he is ‘convinced’ it will be the ‘best World Cup ever’.
Ronaldo could reportedly move to the MLS, but says he is ‘happy’ with a ‘beautiful life’ in Saudi
He also appears happy in the Middle Eastern nation, saying: ‘I’m happy and my family is happy. We started a new life in this beautiful country.
‘Life is good, football is good. In terms of individual and collective, we are still there; we are still improving.’
However, for a success-driven individual, Ronaldo may be dissatisfied with Al-Nassr’s progress on the pitch.
The 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup is the only trophy he has won with them since joining in December 2022.
This season they sit fourth in the Saudi Pro League, 11 points off Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad pacesetters after 13 games.
