Cristiano Ronaldo could be joined at Saudi club Al Nassr by another current Manchester United player. The player is none other than Alex Telles.
According to the Spanish news site Diario AS, Telles might be reunited with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. The Saudi Arabian club is looking to sign a left-back this summer and has the financial means to lure the Brazilian born to the Saudi Pro League.
Al Nassr is looking to bolster their squad with many players from Europe. This would also help their global image improve. We could see many players from European clubs join Al Nassr in the following years. However, Telles who features in the Brazil squad regularly may not want to move to a lower-quality league while still at the prime age of 30. They were also interested in bringing Real Madrid talisman Karim Benzema to the club.
Why could Alex Telles leave Manchester United?
Telles joined United from Porto in 2020 for a cost of £15.4 million, with a contract that would keep him with the Red Devils until 2024. However, things did not go as planned in Old Trafford, with the 30-year-old left back making only nine appearances in his debut season.
While Erik ten Hag was brought in, he was loaned out to Sevilla, who ironically also smashed United out of the Europa League last month.
Telles has failed to find consistent playing time under Sevilla manager José Luis Mendilibar. Argentine World Cup winner Marcos Acuna is the Andalusian side’s first choice left-back. As a result, Sevilla will not attempt to sign the player on a permanent basis at the conclusion of the season.
Ten Haag is also said to want the player out of the club. The Dutch manager is keen for an opportunity to cash in on the Brazilian this summer. This is in order to prevent losing him for free the following year when his contract expires.
Telles got involved in a training ground brawl with former Manchester United player Hannibal Mejbri in May of last year. This was shortly before Ten Hag took over as manager. Even though Ten Hag was not in charge at the time, he was informed of the situation and agreed to loan both players out.
What did Telles say about Cristiano Ronaldo before?
Obviously, Ronaldo can have a big pull in attracting talents to his new side.
In 2021, Telles spoke with United’s official website. This was when he was teammates with Ronaldo at United. He talked about his admiration for the Portuguese superstar.
“There aren’t words to describe Cristiano, we all know how important he is. It’s not just for Manchester United, but in football in general.”
He further added that he felt he had a closer relationship with the 38 year old. “Considering everything he’s achieved in his career, all the Champions League trophies he’s won, we know the weight he carries in this competition. For me and the other Portuguese speakers, it’s obviously a closer relationship.”
“It’s really important for me after having played in Portugal for so many years and I know the culture well. Knowing we have one of the best players in the world alongside us makes us happy and confident going up against opponents knowing we have such strength on our side.”
