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Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo attempted to convince one of his former Al Nassr teammates to stay at the club after his arrival at the Saudi Pro League side.
Ronaldo made his exit from Old Trafford after a bombshell interview with TalkTV host Piers Morgan, with the Al Nassr star later terminating his contract with the club.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner inked a lucrative two-year deal with Al Nassr and reportedly secured a hefty £177m-per-year payday in Saudi Arabia.
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Ronaldo’s arrival at Al Nassr meant that the Saudi side had to cut one of their international players from the squad to make him eligible for a place in the squad.
Vincent Aboubakar had six months remaining on his Al Nassr contract and was brutally axed after Ronaldo signed for the club.
The 31-year-old Cameroon captain received an offer from Turkish side Besiktas and ultimately accepted, despite Ronaldo trying to convince him to stay at Al Nassr.
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“We talked a bit and his [Cristiano’s] opinion was that he wanted me to stay -- I told him no, that I will leave for family reasons,” Aboubakar told Talents d’Afrique on Canal+.
“He asked me where my family was, I told him they are in France and so I prefer to go to Turkey, it’s closer. And he told me, ‘It’s better, if your family is really far away, it’s more complicated.’
“I was firm, I wanted to leave. I had offers, including one from Besiktas. They wanted me to stay until the end of the season.
“I said, ‘No, honestly, president, I prefer to leave.’ It was a bit complicated but finally they let me go.”
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Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League, Football
Adnan Riaz