RIYADH: Saudi Pro League has the potential to become a top-five league in the world if they can rope in more big names, said star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just completed his first season at the Saudi League after an extravagant deal with Al Nassr in December last year, maintained he enjoyed his time in the Gulf nation and confirmed that he “will continue with the team” next season.
“I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here,” Ronaldo said in an interview with the SPL.
“And in my opinion if they continue to do the work that they want to do here, for the next five years, I think the Saudi league can be a top-five league in the world,” he added.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner asserted that if more renowned faces joined the league, it would take the league’s status to new heights.
“If they are coming, big players and big names, young players, ‘old players’, they are very welcome because if that happens, the league will improve,” stated the 38-year-old.
Ronaldo’s assertion came amid heated speculations about Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric’s prospective moves to the Saudi League.
World Cup winner Messi is all set to leave PSG after their last Ligue 1 fixture on Saturday, confirms the team’s coach Christophe Galtier on Thursday.
The Argentinian forward is likely to play in Saudi Arabia next season under a very lucrative deal, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP.
Similarly, Ronaldo’s former teammates at Real Madrid, Benzema and Modric, are also believed to be closing in on attractive deals from Saudi clubs.
“The league is very good but I think we have many opportunities to still grow. The league is competitive. We have very good teams, very good Arab players.” added Ronaldo, who holds the records for most international goals and appearances.
“But they need to improve a little bit more the infrastructure. Even the referees, the VAR system, should be a little quicker.” he concluded.
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