Cristiano Ronaldo playing agent in bid to force lucrative Kevin De Bruyne transfer
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner believes Manchester City’s midfield star would transform A-Nassr into the best in the Saudi Pro League
by Simon Mullock · The MirrorCristiano Ronaldo is urging his Saudi bosses at Al-Nassr to make Kevin De Bruyne a £1million-a-week offer he can’t refuse.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner believes Manchester City ’s midfield star would transform the Riyadh-based club into the best in the Pro League - and wants them to take advantage of City’s failure to hand the Belgian a new contract.
De Bruyne will be a free agent next summer and the Premier League champions are planning talks over a new deal. But the 33-year-old will have to take a significant cut in his £375,000-a-week wages to extend his stay at the Etihad to a decade and beyond.
And Ronaldo feels Al-Nassr should splash the cash to take De Bruyne to the desert.
The City playmaker was sounded out about moving to Saudi last summer but opted to stay in Manchester.
De Bruyne admitted he was tempted by the money on offer in the Middle East and knows he would also bank a huge signing-on fee if he joined Al-Nassr on a free next summer.
Speaking in July, he said: “I’ve read a lot of headlines, but I haven’t spoken to anyone. I hope I can last a few more years. Everyone knows I’m under contract at City for another year. And that I haven’t talked to anyone yet.
"I assume there will be talks with City in the next few months. If not, I will have to look for something else. But it’s hard to say what will happen. My summer will be very quiet. I will enjoy my holidays. And then I will return to City.”
On the prospect of a money-spinning move to Saudi Arabia, he added: “Look, I have more than enough money. I know that well enough. If a silly amount is offered later, then that’s not for me. That’s for all my family, my friends, my children, my great-grandchildren, my children’s neighbours.”
He missed the first five months of last season with a serious hamstring injury and is once again on the sidelines fighting for fitness after limping off in the Champions League clash with Inter Milan almost three weeks ago with a groin problem.
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