Cristiano Ronaldo could welcome Bayern flop at Al-Nassr

Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane is currently negotiating a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. Should he finalize the move, he would be teaming up with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Al Nassr’s sports director Goran Vucevic allegedly met with a representative from the player’s agency at the Pine Cliffs Hotel in Portugal to negotiate the transfer, as reported by The Athletic. The former Liverpool forward is currently in Portugal with the rest of the squad as the German champions get ready for the upcoming season.

Since the money would go toward the Bavarians’ pursuit of Tottenham striker Harry Kane, everyone is said to be on board with a possible transfer.

Mane could leave Germany after one year

Last summer, Bayern paid Liverpool $45 million to acquire Mane. However, his performance with the club over the last year has been lackluster, at best. With an injury keeping him out of the 2022 World Cup, the striker only managed seven goals in the Bundesliga.

In addition, Bayern banned Mane from playing in April. News surfaced of the Senegalese punching teammate Leroy Sane in the face. Therefore, his future in Germany is still up in the air.

Ronaldo could be key if Sadio Mane moves to Al-Nassr

If the transfer goes through, the 31-year-old will leave Munich after just one year. In doing so, he would be able to play with Ronaldo. The Portuguese famously moved to Saudi Arabia after a falling out with Manchester United. This year’s text message exchange between the two players provided a snapshot of their close bond. In an interview with SportBild from earlier this year, Mane said:

“I met Cristiano Ronaldo in Mallorca before this season after my move was completed. He congratulated me and told me: ‘A great club. This is a great step for you. That says everything about the Bundesliga and underlines what I’ve already said: I think you underestimate the Bundesliga here. The recent performances in the UEFA Champions League prove that.”

To secure their first league crown since 2019, Al-Nassr may need to bolster their attacking force to support the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in the goalscoring department. Thus, the potential partnership between Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane would certainly lead to a formidable and devastating attacking duo.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Sven Simon