Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr eyeing up summer move for 23-year-old PL star: Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are reportedly eyeing a move for Aston Villa's Amadou Onana this summer. As per journalist Ahmed Ragab (via Al Nassr Zone on X), the Knights of Najd are keen to boost their midfield and have identified the 23-year-old as a potential target.

After a disappointing outing in the 2024-25 season, Al-Nassr are rejigging their squad to boost their chances of competing for top honors in the 2025-26 campaign. The Riyadh-based club have already parted ways with manager Stefano Pioli, and are also looking to strengthen in other major departments.

According to the aforementioned source, Onana has emerged as a candidate for the Knights of Najd as they plan to bolster their midfield department. The Belgian international operates primarily as a defensive midfielder and has been lauded for his tackling and ball-winning abilities.

Onana joined Aston Villa last summer from Everton. The former Lille star saw his debut season with Unai Emery's side hampered by multiple injuries, including a hamstring that sidelined him for over a month. Nevertheless, he still amassed 35 appearances across competitions, contributing five goals and helping Villa to a sixth-place finish in the league.

The Belgian star is contracted to Aston Villa until 2029, but could be tempted to move to Saudi Arabia should Al-Nassr throw in a mouth-watering offer. Furthermore, Onana could also be thrilled at the opportunity to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, which could facilitate the move.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr part ways with sporting director days after sacking manager - Reports

Al-Nassr have reportedly parted ways with their sporting director, Fernando Hierro. As reported by Al Nassr Zone on X, the Knights of Najd have terminated the contract of the former Real Madrid and Spain captain.

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Hierro joined Al-Nassr in June 2024. However, the club failed to record any notable success under his tenure.

Last term, Al-Nassr failed to win a trophy and missed out on next season's AFC Champions League after a third-place finish in the league. They will now be out to rope in a new manager and sporting director.

The Cristiano Ronaldo-led side are reportedly looking to appoint former Al-Hilal boss Jorge Jesus as their next manager.

About the author

Okenna is an football journalist at Sportskeeda. He has previously worked as a radio presenter at Green FM Umuahia for 4 years, and as a writer at Opera News Hub Nigeria for around 2 years. As a successful modus operandi, he strictly sticks to publishing guidelines, double checks facts while writing, pays very close attention to details and prides himself on picking complex topics to write on.

A Chelsea fan, Okenna had his first tryst with Blues in 2006, after fellow countryman John Mikel Obi joined the west London club. He was immediately drawn to the brilliance of players like Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, John Terry and Didier Drogba.

Okenna is a huge fan of Lionel Messi for his exceptional talent. He also admires Jose Mourinho for his achievements with various clubs which proves he's a tactical and disciplined manger as well as a serial winner.

Some of Okenna’s prospective career landmarks include working as an international journalist and covering a FIFA World Cup game live from the stadium. When not writing, he loves watching, movies and reading books.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi