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Sergio Ramos Reveals Secret Agreement With Saudi Arabia, Amid Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr’s Hunt for New Defender

Published 03/23/2024, 4:44 AM EDT

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via Imago

Sergio Ramos, a 4x UEFA Champions League winner, didn’t have a club for 3 months last year! Notably, it was a time when the Saudi Pro League clubs shook the transfer market by buying elite European stars. Rumors heavily linked Ramos to Al Nassr to reunite with his Real Madrid pal Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Ramos quashed those rumors by joining his boyhood club Sevilla. Anyhow, not joining Al Nassr did not mean the Spaniard wasn’t connected to Saudi. In a candid admission, the ex-Madrid skipper said he has been helping the Saudi project grow.

In a recent interview, Sergio Ramos revealed that he partnered with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation in 2021. Interestingly, Ramos’ deal with SAFF is without any salary or economic benefit. Moreover, it requires the player to travel to Riyadh twice a month at his own expense. “They were very kind and I think that sometimes you have to help those who have less” (translated by DeepL). He then explained the role and the motive behind it.

via Reuters

“Part of the obligation we celebrities have to society, to which we must give back everything it has given us”, he said. “To those who criticize me, I would ask them what they have done for women and for Saudi Arabia. I am proud to help all these Saudi men who need international support”, Ramos concluded, as compiled by El Mundo Today.

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Anyhow, it is still unclear as to what services Sergio Ramos is providing for Saudi Arabia- whether his work focuses on the growth of soccer or human rights. While his rumored move to Al Nassr died down last year, there is now a glaring chance that those rumors would take center stage once again in soccer circles.

Al Nassr could be on the lookout to poach Sergio Ramos!

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Al Nassr is currently dealing with an unhappy European superstar. Ex-Manchester City star and treble winner, Aymeric Laporte joined Al Nassr in 2023 on a three-year $27 million deal. However, he has reportedly grown dismal with time and even stated, “They do take care of us, but not enough for my taste”. Hence, Laporte recently confirmed that he plans to return to Europe. So what has this got to do with Sergio Ramos?

via Imago

Well, Laporte is a center back and his departure will create a hole in the Riyadh club’s defense. Ramos being one of the greatest center-backs of all time is a worthy bet for Al Nassr to patch the damage incurred from Laporte’s potential exit. Besides, Ramos famously shares a warm equation with Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Furthermore, the Spaniard’s contract with Sevilla expires this summer. Hence, if Al Nassr and Ramos come together, the latter could be in Riyadh for a prolonged period, instead of flying twice a month from Spain, as he claimed above!

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Written by:

Krishna Prasad M

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Krishna Prasad is Soccer Writer at EssentiallySports. Unlike others, his journey as a sports enthusiast was not colored by soccer initially. The 2006 FIFA World Cup, however, changed his perspective, as the beautiful game took up a small space in his heart.
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Edited by:

Daniel D'Cruz