Saudi League wants Ronaldo, Messi to be reunited this season
The Saudi authorities have shown interest in reuniting the two greats of the football world – Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the newly-launched Saudi League.
While Ronaldo already leads Saudi football club Al-Nassr, Messi hasn’t received a lucrative deal to join the league.
However, according to SPORT, the league administration has offered Messi a six-month loan to rope him in.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to the Saudi Pro League (SPL) have raised the league’s profile, but the type of players moving to the Middle Eastern nation is changing.
In the past, the SPL attracted mostly older players who were nearing the end of their careers. However, this summer is expected to see younger players in their prime moving to the league.
This is due to a number of factors, including the increasing financial power of the SPL clubs, the desire of younger players to challenge themselves in a new league, and the opportunity to play alongside some of the world’s best players.
Some examples of younger players who have moved to the SPL in recent years include Andre Carrillo, Luiz Gustavo, Ever Banega, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Odion Ighalo, Vincent Aboubakar, Moussa Dembele, Roberto Firmino, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Malcom, Yassine Bounou, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Fabinho.
The arrival of these players is helping to raise the quality of the SPL and make it more competitive. It is also having a positive impact on the Saudi Arabian national team, which is now able to call upon a number of players who are playing at a high level in the SPL.
It should be noted that Messi’s next game in the MLS is (Major League Soccer) in 4 months (February 2024) since Inter Miami was eliminated from the playoffs contention.
If Messi joins the league, it could probably change the landscape of the SPL for good.
