Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly wants his Portugal teammate Pepe to join him at Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo has completed a move to the Saudi Pro League side, putting pen to paper on a two-year deal worth £173 million a year. Now, as per Marca, the 37-year-old is keen on Al-Nassr signing his longtime teammate Pepe, who he previously played alongside at Real Madrid.
The FC Porto defender's name is reported to have come up in early conversations between Cristiano Ronaldo and the Riyadh outfit.
Pepe has been told by Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa that he can play for the Primeira Liga club for as long as he wants. But an offer from Cristiano Ronaldo's club could well change things.
The duo recently played together for Portugal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Pepe made four appearances for Selecao das Quinas, scoring one goal as Fernando Santos' side exited in the quarterfinals.
He has featured on 11 occasions for Porto this season, helping Sergio Conceicao's side keep five clean sheets.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe have a longstanding friendship that stems back to their days at Madrid. They won the UEFA Champions League three times, the La Liga title twice and the Copa de Rey on three occasions during their time together at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Cristiano Ronaldo predicted a bright future for Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard in 2015
Martin Odegaard has become one of the Premier League's top midfielders for Arsenal since joining the Gunners from Real Madrid. He has made 22 appearances across competitions, scoring seven goals and making five assists.
The Norwegian was appointed as Arsenal captain by Mikel Arteta at the start of the season. His performances and leadership have played a key role in the side's Premier League title pursuit.
Cristiano Ronaldo saw a lot of potential in Odegaard in 2015 when the player was just 16 years old. He had told BT Sport:
“I will mention Martin Odegaard of Madrid for example, at 16 he’s still young but you can see he’s a very good player. He’s a great player, I think he’s a young boy, he can still grow."
Ronaldo had added:
"He has a good future ahead. We must give him time to learn, to take his best decisions. But I see a lot of potential in the player, he has got a good left foot.”