Former Manchester United left-back Alex Telles has spoken about how much of a role Cristiano Ronaldo played in persuading him to join him at Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr.
The Brazilian defender left Man Utd last summer after falling out of favour, having also had a spell out on loan at Sevilla, so it wasn’t too surprising to see him heading out of Old Trafford at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
Telles became one of a long list of big names to quit European football for the Saudi project, with Ronaldo notably one of the first names to take that leap when he joined Al Nassr after his departure from United.
According to Telles, Ronaldo then played a role in persuading him to join him at Al Nassr, and it seems it’s a decision he’s very happy with, while he’s also pleased to be reunited with the legendary Portuguese forward.
Discussing the decision and how it came about in an interview with Sapo Desporto , Telles said: “Cristiano Ronaldo was a very important factor in me coming here. We exchanged messages beforehand, my agent was involved, but obviously, being the legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the greatness that he is, that we’ve known since Manchester United, clearly made it easier for me to come.
“We talked a lot, he told me what the club was like and that he was looking forward to me coming. I’m happy to have an athlete and human being like him… with all his dedication to getting me here. So all the effort I put in for myself is also for him, for Al-Nassr and for all the players who are here.”
Ronaldo’s pull is clearly huge, with other global superstars like Neymar, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante also among the star names to move to Saudi last summer, and there’ll surely be many more to come in the near future.
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