Cristiano Ronaldo pushing Al-Nassr to sign Manchester City midfielder

According to reports, Cristiano Ronaldo wants Mateo Kovacic, a star for Manchester City, in January, and Al-Nassr is prepared to pay a huge salary for him. As per CBS Sports, Al-Nassr is willing to extend an exceptional financial set to Kovacic, amounting to over $1 million per week. This would nearly double the Croatian international's current salary of $1 million at Manchester City, thereby positioning him as one among the highest-paid football players globally. 

Prior to the summer transfer deadline, Kovacic was supposed to be a star acquisition for the Saudi team. But no agreement could be completed since they couldn't make room on their international roster. Sadio Mane as well as Anderson Talisca have to go in order for Al-Nassr to make way for Kovacic. Two other Saudi teams, notably rivals Al-Ahli, were reportedly interested in the Senegalese player and wanted to send Roberto Firmino to Al-Taawoun in order to arrange a move for Mane. 

However, that agreement collapsed, along with Al-Nassr's expectations of getting Kovacic to Saudi Arabia prior to the deadline. Mane's status at Al-Nassr will continue to be crucial in determining if the team can sign Kovacic in January.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo the mastermind behind signing Mateo Kovacic?

According to reports, Cristiano Ronaldo played a major role in pressuring Kovacic to join Al-Nassr. The two athletes have a past together, having worked together for three years at Real Madrid from 2015 to 2018. In order to acquire the player, Al-Nassr was even prepared to present Manchester City among the highest transfer fees ever made by a Saudi team.

Nevertheless, the deal fell through, and they are now resolved to sign the Croatian midfield player when the transfer market returns in January 2025. Al-Nassr is reportedly contemplating a move for Adrien Rabiot, a free agent who plays midfield for France, in addition to Kovacic. Any acquisition of Rabiot would, therefore, be viewed as an addition to Kovacic's chase rather than a substitute.