Al-Nassr manager Rudi Garcia has said that he wanted to sign Lionel Messi first before they brought Cristiano Ronaldo to the club.
Ronaldo’s move to the Saudi Arabia club was confirmed last week after mutually agreeing to end his association with Manchester United where the Portuguese will earn a sum of £173m.
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Asked about his intentions to bring Ronaldo to the club, Garcia, who has previously took charge of Lille, Roma, Marseille, and Lyon joked: “First I wanted to bring Messi from Doha. I tried to bring Messi directly from Doha.”
Comparisons continue to be made between Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Messi, who led La Albiceleste to the World Cup trophy in Qatar while Ronaldo was dropped from Portugal’s team before their elimination to Morocco.
On the other hand, United manager Erik ten Hag has shown little interest in Ronaldo’s move away from Old Trafford, stating “I don’t talk about the past” after his side saw off Wolves on Saturday.
Ronaldo could make his Al-Nassr debut as early as this Thursday in the Roshn Saudi League before a clash with Al-Shabab in mid-January. Al-Shabab are currently a point off Al-Nassr having played a game fewer.
The Portuguese star is set to be officially unveiled on Tuesday in front of the club fans.
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