Brozovic set to take Al-Nassr’s midfield to new heights

Al-Nassr have made their first significant signing since Cristiano Ronaldo as Marcelo Brozovic arrives from Inter Milan.

One of the top defensive midfielders in the world will be lining up with the five-time Ballon D’Or winner in the increasingly famous yellow shirt next season.

The signing is another coup for the Riyadh club that finished second last season behind Al-Ittihad.

It leaves the Italian giants, who only last month lost the Champions League final to Manchester City, looking for a replacement for the 30-year-old who has spent over eight years at the club.

It also leaves Barcelona looking for another to shore up their midfield after they were linked with the Croatian.

Al-Nassr perhaps sent a little dig toward the Catalan club in the official unveiling video. “Everyone wanted him,” it said. “He wanted ONLY us.” The Croatian then appeared to tell his new fans: “Don’t worry, I’m here. I choose Al-Nassr.”

The announcement came just two days after Luiz Gustavo left the club. The Brazilian defensive midfielder had a fine season for Al-Nassr after arriving from Fenerbahce, and the former Bayern Munich man was almost an ever-present in the season when the Riyadh giants pushed Al-Ittihad all the way before falling short right at the end.

Most would agree however that Brozovic is an upgrade. He has been playing at the very top of the European game for almost a decade. At the same time, he has appeared close to 90 times for Croatia and was a vital part of the team that reached the final of the 2018 World Cup and the last four just last December in Qatar.

Despite that big game experience, Brozovic is not a Ronaldo or a Benzema. He is not going to do as many spectacular things on the pitch and does not score many