Al-Nassr in talks to sign former Liverpool star as Cristiano Ronaldo's strike partner - Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have begun negotiations over a deal to sign former Liverpool star Sadio Mane from Bayern Munich, according to Arab newspaper Ariyadhiah.

Clubs in Saudi Arabia are busy making blockbuster signings after the country stepped up efforts to boost its global image. Al-Nassr led the way by roping in Cristiano Ronaldo on a free transfer in December. They made the superstar the highest-paid player in the world (€200 million a year) to lure him to the Middle East.

The Saudi Pro League giants are keen to bolster their ranks further ahead of the 2023-24 season. They have hired Portuguese tactician Luis Castro as their new manager. Al-Aalami have also signed Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan for €18 million.

Al-Nassr are now in the process of signing Mane. They contacted Bayern to discuss a move for the Senegal international in May but halted negotiations due to hierarchical changes at the club. The Saudi giants have now reopened talks to sign the forward.

Bayern have given the Riyadh-based team permission to speak to Mane to discuss personal terms. Al-Nassr's CEO Ahmed Al-Ghamdi held talks with the former Liverpool star's representative Bjorn Bezemer in Mallorca on Thursday (July 13).

Al-Nassr are keen to learn Mane's demands before ramping up talks with the Bundesliga giants over a deal. The Bavarians, meanwhile, have reportedly slapped a €30 million price tag on the Senegalese forward, whose contract runs till 2025.

Mane, 31, joined Bayern from Premier League giants Liverpool in a deal worth €41 million last year. However, the transfer hasn't gone according to plan. He started only six Bundesliga games for the Munich-based club in the second half of last season.

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Sadio Mane could link up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr

Having not been impressed by Sadio Mane's performances last term, Bayern Munich are prepared to offload him. They hope to recoup a significant amount of money they paid for his signature, with Al-Nassr interested. Al-Aalami, for their part, have shown that they're prepared to pay up to sign their targets.

Mane could now link up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Mrsool Park. It's worth noting that Al-Nassr already have talented attacker Talisca and Abdulrahman Ghareeb in their ranks. However, Castro could accommodate all four players in his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation (via Transfermarkt).

He could deploy Mane in his preferred left wing position, with Ghareeb moving to the right flank. Talisca, meanwhile, is comfortable operating as an attacking midfielder or as a No. 10. That would allow Cristiano Ronaldo to lead the attack for Al-Nassr.