Al-Nassr’s 4-1 defeat in the Saudi Super Cup final against Al-Hilal sounded an alarm bell in the Saudi team, and Cristiano Ronaldo did not delay in calling for strengthening the team.
Cristiano Ronaldo is seeking to have his Saudi team Al-Nassr sign one of Barcelona’s prominent stars in order to support the Saudi team to compete for titles.
According to information received from the Spanish newspaper El Nacional, the Portuguese, who knows how to win in the most difficult stages, explained that the team needs more quality if it wants to compete at the highest level, and one of the names he put on the table is Ilkay Gundogan.
The newspaper added that the German midfielder, who arrived at Barcelona last summer as one of the most prominent deals, is not living his best times at the Catalan club.
In Barcelona, Gundogan’s situation is sensitive. Although he was a prominent deal last season, his performances were inconsistent, and his physical condition did not convince the technical staff. In addition, with players such as Firmin, Pedri and Dani Olmo, the competition in midfield is fierce, which may lead to the German player playing a secondary role in the team, which does not satisfy the veteran German player.
The newspaper continued: The possibility of Gundogan’s departure has begun to gain strength in recent weeks, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s call from Saudi Arabia may be the catalyst for his departure, as Saudi Al-Nasr is aware of the demands of its star, and will be willing to make a large offer to take the German international.
There is talk of a figure that may be around 20 million euros, an amount that Barcelona will look at positively, especially at a time when they need to reduce their wage bill.
Hansi Flick, who seems to have a clear idea of what he wants to implement at Barcelona, would not be opposed to Gundogan leaving if it helps the club balance its finances and give more importance to the young talents emerging in the squad. Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, already seems to be aware of the situation and is said to be assessing how best to manage a possible sale of the German.
The newspaper concluded that the next few days will be decisive in determining whether Gundogan will stay at Barcelona or whether he will finally pack his bags to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. It is clear that after a year full of ups and downs at the Camp Nou, the German midfielder’s future is more outside Barcelona than ever.