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Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has directly called Portugal teammate Otavio to convince him of a move to Mrsool Park, according to Portuguese daily A Bola (h/t SAPO Desporto).
Clubs in Saudi Arabia are busy making blockbuster signings after the kingdom 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 him the highest-paid player in the world to persuade him to move to Riyadh offering him €200 million a year.
Having missed out on the Saudi Pro League title by five points last term, Al-Aalami are keen to further bolster their ranks ahead of the new season. It's worth noting that they have already signed Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan for an €18 million fee. The Croatian, meanwhile, is said to have been handed a €25 million-a-season contract.
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It appears that Al-Nassr want to reinforce their midfield further, with FC Porto's Otavio next on their wishlist. The Riyadh-based club have reportedly already offered the Portugal international a €13 million a year contract. Tempted by the money on offer, the player is seemingly not against the idea of making the switch.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has directly called Otavio to sell him a move to Al-Nassr, according to the aforementioned source. During the conversation, the superstar told his Portugal teammate the merits of joining the Mrsool Park outfit. He also advised the midfielder to not miss out on the opportunity.
Al-Aalami will hope that the Portuguese icon's words will convince Otavio to join them. Porto, for their part, are reluctant to sell the attacking midfielder, who, though, has a €40 million release clause. The clause will reportedly rise to €60 million this week, meaning the Saudi giants have to act quickly to sign him.
Cristiano Ronaldo is not the only one at Al-Nassr Otavio has worked with
Otavio, 28, has 14 caps for the Portugal national team. The midfielder notably shared the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo on eight of those occasions. He could work more closely with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner if he joins Al-Nassr.
Meanwhile, it's worth noting that Cristiano Ronaldo is not the only person at Mrsool Park that Otavio has worked with. The club's new manager Luis Castro, also Portuguese, was briefly in charge of the Porto senior team in 2014, which is also the year the player joined the club. He played six games under the tactician, bagging two goals and three assists across the Portuguese first and second tiers.
It now remains to be seen if Otavio will swap Porto to work with Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Castro. He is notably contracted to the Primeira Liga giants till the summer of 2025. The midfielder could also play in the UEFA Champions League if he stays with them.
