If some reports coming from Saudi Arabia are to be trusted, Cristiano Ronaldo can become Neymar Jr's replacement at Saudi powerhouse Al-Hilal. What makes the switch shocking is the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is currently representing Al Hilal's arch-rivals in the Saudi Pro League Al-Nassr FC.
Neymar's Al-Hilal career
Brazilian attacker Neymar's Saudi journey never really took off due to injury concerns. Another hamstring injury has ruled him out for at least another month -- just two weeks after returning after a year-long absence due to a knee injury. On Monday, Neymar was replaced just 29 minutes after his introduction from the bench in the 3-0 win over Iran's Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League Elite.
"The scans revealed that Neymar Jr. has suffered a tear in his Hamstring... e will undergo a treatment and rehabilitation program that will last from four to six weeks," Al-Hilal posted on X.
Neymar has played only seven games for Al-Hilal since moving from Paris St Germain for a reported fee of around 90 million euros ($98 million) in August last year.
Fed up with his constant fitness issues, Al Hilal wants to initiate talks on terminating his agreement which keeps him in Saudi till 2025, reports said.
Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, was among the first European top-tier players to reach Saudi in the second decade of the century. Shortly after Ronaldo arrived at Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2022, several others, including some in their prime, followed suit. The list includes Jordan Henderson, Ruben Neves, Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Roberto Firmino.
Cristiano Ronaldo to Al-Hilal?
Once Neymar leaves, Al-Hilal will set out to find his replacement and they have no problem roping in Cristiano Ronaldo. Unlike Neymar, 39-year-old Ronaldo has been successful in the Middle Eastern country since his arrival and they feel it would be ideal if they can land his signature in the January tranfer window, SportBible said in a report. CR7 is contracted until 2025 by their rivals and Al-Hilal are open to offering him a fresh contract even after his current one expires, the report added.
After initial glory, Ronaldo's Al-Nassr has struggled to compete with Al-Hilal who landed the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Europe. Ronaldo has hinted at ending his career in Saudi in two or three years and a potential switch to Saudi may help him bolster his unparalleled trophy cabinet with more bounties including the AFC Champions League Elite.
