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Jan Oblak Misses Opportunity to Play With Cristiano Ronaldo as He’s Not on Al Nassr’s Radar: Reports

Published 01/07/2024, 2:34 AM EST

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via Imago

Jan Oblak would not have had the finest memories of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Atletico goalkeeper had the unfortunate experience of facing the 5-time Ballon d’Or winner during his pomp at Real Madrid. Recently, there were rumors that the Slovenian ace might be exiting La Liga for a move to Al Nassr. However, the latest reports have seemingly confirmed that Oblak will not be linking up his ‘most formidable‘ opponent.

The goalkeeping position has long been a problem for Al Nassr since the injury to David Ospina. His replacement, Nawaf Alaqidi, has performed admirably. Yet, the Oblak rumors indicate that the management wants reinforcements in the position.

Al Nassr claimed to have decided against reuniting Cristiano Ronaldo with Madrid rival

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This is as per journalist Ali Al-Enezi. He said, “Oblak is not among Al-Nasr’s options during the current period.” Hence, it seems that Alaqidi will continue to be the man between the sticks after the winter break. However, out-of-favor star David Ospina has received offers from Brazil & Mexico. This suggests that Operation ‘Oblak’ could happen in the summer.

The 2nd-highest-paid goalkeeper in the world, Oblak has been renowned for his shot-stopping skills. He is a major reason why Diego Simeone and Atletico have had so much success playing their defensive soccer style. Oblak has spent 10 seasons in Madrid and might have felt the need for a change of scenery. What better way to link up with one of his toughest opponents?

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The Slovenian ace has conceded only 4 hattricks in his career. A remarkable achievement, but even more remarkable, is that all 4 of them were scored by Cristiano Ronaldo. Hence, a reunion with an opponent whom he previously referred to as his ‘most formidable’ would have definitely appealed to Jan Oblak. Also, being just 31, he is in the prime of his career. Yet, Al Nassr has reportedly decided against a winter move. Why could that be so?

Potential roadblocks for the Jan Oblak deal

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As per the SPL rules, only 8 foreign players are allowed to be registered in the squad. Hence, it seems the club hierarchy is waiting to finalize the future of David Ospina before making a move for the Atletico man. However, the bigger headache could be the transfer rules in itself.

The SPL employs a complicated and lengthy 3-step transfer mechanism. The most difficult procedure is submitting a transfer application to the league, where the financial conduciveness of the deal is studied. Considering, the winter window is just one month long, it is likely that Al Nassr won’t want to take any risks.

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Will Jan Oblak end up at Al Nassr? Tell us in the comments below.

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Written by:

Adithya Narayanan

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Soccer was the first sport I played in my life. It turned out to be my favorite one by an absolute mile. In my younger days, I became a Liverpool fan but it was only when Jurgen Klopp arrived that my passion for the game intensified.
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Edited by:

Daniel D'Cruz