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Al-Hilal president Bin Nafal has outlined why the club failed to sign the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup. The Saudi Pro League side secured the services of former Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi earlier this month.
Al-Hilal were linked with multiple superstars ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, including Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar's contract with Al-Nassr expires at the end of this month and he hasn't signed a new deal yet.
Since his team are not participating in the FIFA World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo was tipped to sign a short deal with Al-Hilal to feature in the tournament but the move never materialized. Meanwhile, the Saudi club were also linked to Bruno Fernandes, Theo Hernandez, and Victor Osimhen, but ended up signing none of them.
Speaking recently, as cited by GOAL, Bin Nafal insisted that a lack of time and unrealistic demands were the reason behind their failure to reinforce the squad.
"We've spoken with many players, but they want to go on vacation after a long season. We tried to sign several players before the World Cup, but were unsuccessful due to lack of time and faced illogical offers," said Bin Nafal.
He continued:
"The options during the exceptional transfer window are limited, unlike the summer, which is longer and offers greater opportunities to improve technically. We have signed the best coach."
Simone Inzaghi opted to part ways with Inter Milan following the 5-0 defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Allianz Arena on May 31.
Will Cristiano Ronaldo be reunited with Alejandro Garnacho at Al-Nassr?
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Alejandro Garnacho and Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo wants a reunion with Alejandro Garnacho at Al-Nassr, according to Fichajes (via The Hard Tackle). The Argentine starlet briefly shared the pitch with the Portuguese superstar at Manchester United, during Ronaldo's second stint with the Red Devils.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner returned to Old Trafford in the summer of 2021 from Juventus. Garnacho, meanwhile, rose through the ranks at Manchester United before exploding onto the scene in the 2022/23 season.
The Argentine shared the pitch six times with Cristiano Ronaldo, who even assisted his first ever goal for the Premier League giants. The Portuguese left the Red Devils in December 2022 to move to Al-Nassr under unceremonious circumstances. With Garnacho's future up in the air this summer, Ronaldo now wants the 20-year-old to join him in the Middle East.
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