Former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo's chat could seal Sadio Mane's Al Nassr transfer

Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to make Al Nassr his next club after leaving Manchester United is having the desired effect that Saudi Arabia was hoping for.

There is an increased interest in the Saudi Pro League away from the Middle East and this summer has seen a number of European football's top stars join the division. Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Marcelo Brozovic and Edouard Mendy are among the names who have already made the switch.

Reports are also suggesting Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic is refusing to play for the London club because they have priced him out of a move to Al Ahly. However, Jordan Henderson's decision to weigh up a move to Steven Gerrard's Al Ettifaq has caused controversy due to his previous supportive stance on LGBTQ+ rights.

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Among all of this, another player with Liverpool connections looks to be on the verge of moving to Saudi Arabia. The Athletic reports Sadio Mane is in talks with Al Nassr after just a year at Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Despite his contract still being valid in Germany for another two years Mane, like many other players, is apparently attracted by the prospect of playing in the Saudi Pro League and linking up with a star who he already shares a friendship with. Back in January this year, the 31-year-old explained he had met up with Ronaldo shortly after he had signed for Bayern the previous summer.

He explained to BILD: "I met Cristiano Ronaldo in Mallorca before this season after my move was completed. He congratulated me and told me: 'A great club.