In a recent update, renowned football journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are in talks to sign Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane. The discussions are expected to continue for a few more days as both clubs work on finalizing the deal.
According to SportsZone (via GFFN), the interest from Al-Nassr comes as the former Liverpool forward faces the possibility of moving to the Saudi Pro League this summer. Despite interest from Al-Ettifaq and Al-Ahli earlier in the transfer window, he expressed his desire to remain at Bayern Munich and compete in the Champions League.
Bayern Munich, on the other hand, are willing to part ways with the 31-year-old forward, having acquired him from Liverpool just a year ago. The player's representatives have been exploring options in Saudi Arabia, and playing with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr emerged as a potential destination.
As talks progress, Mane's future remains up in the air. It is uncertain if he will agree to the move to Al-Nassr or continue his pursuit of Bundesliga and European glory with Bayern Munich.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr draw against Inter Milan
Cristiano Ronaldo's appearance in Al-Nassr's pre-season tour in Japan ended with a half-time substitution, as his team played out a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan. Abdulrahman Ghareeb opened the scoring for the Saudi Arabian side in the first half, but Inter's Davide Frattesi equalized just before the break.
Despite creating chances, Ronaldo's attempts were not successful, and he was eventually replaced during the interval, as both teams opted for mass substitutions. In the second half, Inter's Lautaro Martinez missed a couple of clear-cut opportunities, but neither side managed to find the winning goal.
This has resulted in Al-Nassr's second consecutive draw of the week, following a goalless draw against Paris Saint-Germain. As pre-season matches continue, Al Nassr manager Luis Castro and Inter's Simone Inzaghi will likely be assessing their squads' performances. For Ronaldo, this game serves as another opportunity to acclimatize to his new team and build chemistry with his teammates.
He has already enjoyed a brilliant start to his time in Saudi Arabia, racking up an impressive 14 goals and two assists in 16 Pro League games. However, he has been unable to guide the Middle Eastern side to any trophies. The Portuguese maestro noted, while in Japan, that he was looking forward to winning trophies in the coming season, with more European players showing up in Saudi Arabia.