Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly pleaded to the hierarchy at Al-Nassr to sign Manchester United midfielder Casemiro.
The two enjoyed an illustrious spell at Real Madrid together during the mid-2010s, winning 12 major honours, and they were also briefly reunited at Man United at the start of the 2022-23 season, before Ronaldo's dramatic exit.
Ronaldo stormed out of the club following a falling out with Erik ten Hag, but Casemiro remains at Old Trafford, despite dropping out of the side and becoming a fringe player in the last 18 months.
Turning 33 in February, Casemiro's time at the club looks set to come to an end either this month or in the summer though, following the arrival of Ruben Amorim, who has only started him three times in 12 games.
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Could Casemiro keep Ronaldo in Saudi?
Ronaldo's eye-watering £175m-per-year contract at Al-Nassr expires in the summer, and a report from MARCA has linked the 39-year-old with a move to MLS.
Therefore, the Daily Mail claim that Ronaldo has asked the club to sign the midfielder before he will think about signing an extension.
Signing a close friend of Ronaldo's in Casemiro could play in part in persuading the Portuguese legend to stay, given the allure of a head-to-head showdown against Lionel Messi in the US.
Other clubs in the Saudi Pro League are believed to be in for Casemiro though, who still has 18 months left on his contract at Old Trafford.
Another report from the the Daily Mail states that Al-Ittihad and Al Quadisiya are looking to sign the five-time Champions League winner; news that will be a relief to Man United, who are looking to get his £350,000-per-wages off the bill.
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How likely is Ronaldo to stay put?
Al-Nassr have regressed in the past 12 months, going from a second-placed finish in the Pro League, to now scrapping just to break into the AFC Champions League spots.
Ronaldo's side find themselves down in fourth, 11 points off Al-Ittihad at the top, but still in contention for this season's AFC Champions League, with the club set to advance with two group games remaining.
In comparison though, Messi has enjoyed much more success at Inter Miami, winning the Eastern Conference in 2024, despite falling short in the playoffs.
That was still enough for the club to be awarded a place in the upcoming Club World Cup, a competition Al-Nassr will not be a part of.
Moving to MLS and competing with Messi could be an attractive proposition to Ronaldo, especially with his club in Saudi struggling to compete domestically.
Andrew Delaney
