Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that he would remain in the Saudi Pro League for at least another season and has welcomed the potential entrance of other big-name recruits, including former teammate Karim Benzema, who has been linked with a mega-money move to join him.
In January, the Portuguese superstar made a surprising move to the Saudi Pro League, becoming the highest-paid player in the world.
His transfer to Al Nassr has sparked extensive curiosity about which other elite footballers might follow him in Saudi Arabia. Lionel Messi, Roberto Firmino, Ilkay Gundogan, and Luka Modric are just a few of the players who have been linked with moves to the Saudi Pro League.
Benzema is the latest celebrity to apparently be offered a huge sum to join Ronaldo in the Arab country. And Ronaldo has given his OK for competing clubs to spend big money to lure some of Europe’s best players to the Saudi Pro League.
“If they are coming, big players and big names, young players, old players, they are very welcome because if that happens, the league will improve,” Ronaldo said. “Age is not important, but competing players, young players, depend on many factors.”
Benzema has subsequently spoken out on the rumours regarding a possible bid from the Saudi Pro League, providing a cryptic comment.
“Talking about my future? For what?” he said. “What is said comes from the Internet. And the Internet is not a reality. I have a game on Saturday. I train tomorrow, so right now I’m in Madrid.”
Ronaldo’s future in Saudi Arabia has also been called into question, with rumors claiming he plans to quit Al Nassr for a return to Europe this summer. However, the 38-year-old has now declared his intention to stay and help the Saudi Pro League flourish, while also identifying areas for improvement.
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“To speak about the league, I think the league is very good, but I think we have many, many opportunities to still grow,” Ronaldo said. “I think the league is good and competitive. We have very good teams, we have very good Arab players.
“The infrastructure I think they need to improve a little bit more. Even the referees, the VAR system – I think they should be a little more quicker.
“I think other small things they need to improve, but I am happy here. I want to continue here, I will continue here and in my opinion if they continue to do the work that they want to do for the next five years, I think the Saudi League can be the fifth [top league] in the world.”
