According to Mail Sport (UK), striker Mane is looking for a solution to join Al Ittihad club managed by coach Laurent Blanc on an invitation from striker Karim Benzema. Midfielder Laporte will likely significantly reduce his salary to return to Spain to play, with the possibility of joining Real Madrid. These are two players who are said to have had a conflict with Ronaldo and were mocked by the famous player on the pitch, in the Saudi Super Cup final, when Al Nassr lost to rivals Al Hilal with a score of 1-4.
“Al Ittihad are currently in talks to sign Mane from Al Nassr, but the finalisation and direction of the deal are yet to be finalised. However, the parties are leaning towards a one-season loan and a permanent purchase next season, with striker Benzema being the person behind this deal, thinking he would be more suited to play alongside Mane,” said transfer journalist Ben Jacobs.
Mane and Laporte joined Al Nassr last season for a total value of almost 65 million dollars. However, both of them failed to help the team or Ronaldo win any championship title. Not to mention having to play in Ronaldo’s shadow and having to shoulder all the responsibility, such as the recent Super Cup defeat, makes these two stars increasingly disappointed.
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“Ronaldo acted to imply that his teammates fell asleep after scoring the first goal, so Al Hilal then turned the situation around to score 4 goals and win the championship. With this action, Ronaldo also refused to take any responsibility for the home team’s defeat,” Mail Sport said.
“Al Nassr is facing a crisis just before the new season. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has stopped providing financial support to the club, while all other decisions must also go through them. This is the reason why the team cannot buy as aggressively as last season.
Ronaldo is said to be part of the main reason, because the salary of this famous player is too high (more than 200 million dollars per season). Ronaldo also refused to listen to suggestions from coach Luis Castro or sporting director Fernando Hierro. Therefore, this has caused discontent among many other stars, who are looking for a way to leave due to the not so bright situation of the team,” Mail Sport noted.
“For Ronaldo personally, this famous player will definitely keep his commitment to play for Al Nasr until the end of his current contract, valid until June 2025, because the remuneration is too high, despite the possibility of not winning another title. There are no more champions,” Mail Sport commented.
