The Saudi Pro League has become a household name ever since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo. After making a sensational move to Al Nassr, the striker has cemented the Saudi League’s position in the global transfer market. Now, Middle Eastern clubs are entering the European transfer market in order to bolster their ranks.

In fact, Saudi clubs have already begun the process, with a few players arriving. Following Karim Benzema, the latest protagonist is N’golo Kante, who will also be playing for Al Ittihad. However, the midfielder could have played alongside Ronaldo, as CR7’s club wanted to sign him too.

Al Nassr spent months in attempts to woo N’golo Kante

Following Benzema, Kante has become the latest addition to Al Ittihad’s squad. The midfielder will join the Saudi Pro League winners for a lucrative contract. However, the Frenchman’s prior destination could have been Al Nassr, who had spent months trying to sign him.

This claim comes from renowned soccer correspondent James Benge. While retweeting Ittihad’s announcement video of Kante, he wrote, “It’s a very strange world where Al Nassr spent months working to convince Kante, had got him to back away from Chelsea and then got bought by PIF. Suddenly he was assigned to Al Ittihad and there wasn’t much they could do about it.”

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Benge insists that the CR7’s club has been keeping tabs on the Chelsea star for a long time. They even convinced the Premier League giants to sell the player. Al Nassr got another boost after getting bought by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). However, it never materialized, as it was Al Ittihad who captured Kante.

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Indeed, it is food for thought as to why his move never transpired. Either way, Al Nassr will look elsewhere for reinforcements. In fact, they may be close to signing another midfielder with whom Ronaldo can unite.

Cristiano Ronaldo could reunite with his compatriot

Al Nassr is reportedly close to securing the signing of Portuguese midfielder William Carvalho. According to several reports from Saudi Arabia, the Jeddah-based club has reached an agreement with Carvalho regarding all the necessary details. Moreover, they’ll be announcing the deal shortly.

Currently playing for Real Betis, the 31-year-old has a contract with the Spanish club until 2026. He has accumulated 178 appearances, scoring 10 goals, providing 12 assists, and winning the Spanish Cup last year. Indeed, Ronaldo has a chance to unite with his countrymen, as he will be a great addition to Al Nassr’s ranks.

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