Cristiano Ronaldo holds direct talks with Manchester United star over potential Al-Nassr move – Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly held talks with Manchester United star Eric Bailly over a potential permanent move to Al-Nassr this summer.

Ever since Ronaldo's arrival on a Bosman switch to Al-Nassr, a number of players at European clubs have decided to move to Saudi Arabia. Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino and Ruben Neves are some of the stars who have joined the Gulf state this summer.

Now, according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, Bailly is the latest player who has drawn interest from the Saudi Pro League (SPL). He has already initiated initial talks with two unnamed SPL clubs over a potential three-year contract worth in the region of £20 million.

Ronaldo, a former Manchester United man, has reportedly spoken to the Ivorian to tell him about the aforementioned league and the associated lifestyle in the recent past. He is keen to convince the right-footed center-back about a move to Al-Nassr ahead of the next season.

Bailly, who is in the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, could opt to secure a permanent switch to Al-Nassr. He is not in Erik ten Hag's plans, apparent from his non-involvement in United's ongoing tour of the US.

An RCD Espanyol youth product, Bailly spent the entirety of last season on loan at Marseille. He started just 11 of his 23 appearances for them last campaign, racking up 855 minutes of first-team action in the process.

So far, the 29-year-old star has registered just one goal and as many assists in 113 matches for Manchester United during his seven-year stint.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have already offloaded one of their defenders to Al-Nassr in the ongoing summer transfer window. They parted ways with out-of-favor left-back Alex Telles for £6 million earlier this week.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr hoping to sign potential partner for Manchester United star

According to La Nacion, Al-Nassr have identified Gustavo Gomez as a top transfer target this summer. Ronaldo's side have been unsuccessful with their first bid but are set to meet Palmeiras' £10 million price tag.

Gomez, 30, has established himself as a core squad member of the Verdao since initially arriving on loan from AC Milan in 2018. He sealed a €2 million move to the Brasileiro Serie A outfit in the summer of 2020.

A right-footed powerful center-back, Gomez has been one of the top performers for Palmeiras in the past five years. He has scored a respectable 31 goals and laid out seven assists in 246 matches across competitions for the Brazilian outfit, lifting 10 trophies along the way.

So far this summer, Ronaldo's side have added three new faces to their roster. They have roped in Marcelo Brozovic, Seko Fofana and Alex Telles for a combined fee of over £43 million from Inter Milan, RC Lens and Manchester United, respectively.