Al Hilal CEO: Ronaldo transfer would be 'unusual'

Al Hilal CEO Esteve Calzada says it would person been "a precise antithetic situation" for his nine to person signed Cristiano Ronaldo arsenic the Portuguese guardant captains their "eternal rival" Al Nassr.

The Saudi Pro League giants were linked with a imaginable woody to motion Ronaldo during the further transportation model that FIFA introduced earlier this period due to the fact that of the Club World Cup. "And who haven't they linked america with?" Calzada told Diario As.

"Cristiano too, of course. Well, we're a spot similar Real Madrid successful Saudi Arabia, we're the nine that everyone leaks stories astir due to the fact that they mightiness beryllium funny successful thing ... Sometimes it's true, but a batch of it isn't. It reminds maine of the aboriginal days of Manchester City ... erstwhile it seemed similar each subordinate had an connection from City. We've adopted a argumentation of not commenting connected rumors. At the extremity of the day, Al Nassr [Cristiano's erstwhile team] is similar Atlético and Al Hilal is similar Madrid.

"It would beryllium a precise antithetic concern to fortify your squad with a subordinate from your eternal rival."

Ronaldo, 40, confirmed helium had been courted by clubs competing successful the Club World Cup but the Portuguese guardant indicated helium would proceed astatine Al Nassr beyond his existent woody that expires connected June 30.

Calzada, whose nine recently appointed Simone Inzaghi as their caput manager aft the Italian manager near Inter Milan, person not made immoderate large signings heading into the Club World Cup.

They did try, with Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes having revealed earlier this period that helium turned down a "very ambitious" connection from Al Hilal. However, Calzada insists galore apical players privation to articulation Al Hilal.

"We've had top-level coaches who person offered their services and insisted connected coming, and the aforesaid goes for apical players," Calzada said.

"Top, apical players ... And we person a very, precise beardown squad. The affirmative happening astir seeing truthful galore large names associated with america is that radical are nary longer amazed oregon spot it arsenic thing impossible, but alternatively deliberation it's thing that could happen, and that shows what benignant of nine we are."

Calzada expects a precise engaged summertime for his nine successful the transportation window.

"When the contention is over, we're going to beryllium precise active," helium said. "We're a precise ambitious nine and we're expected to win. We're coming disconnected a play wherever we didn't triumph the league. Even though we finished second, for america it's a failure.

"But contrary to what radical thin to think, we person budgets to instrumentality to and we can't bash thing crazy."

Al Hilal finished runners-up to Al Ittihad this play having won the Saudi Pro League rubric successful 2023-24 nether manager Jorge Jesus. Al Hilal statesman their Club World Cup against Ronaldo's erstwhile nine Real Madrid connected Wednesday.