Al-Hilal in talks to sign defender wanted by Real Madrid as they rebuild after Cristiano Ronaldo U-turn

After an apparent U-turn from Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Hilal have set their sights on Real Madrid target Theo Hernandez, according to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano. With the Portuguese superstar's contract due to expire in June, he was heavily linked with a move to Al-Nassr's rivals in recent days.

Earlier this week, Ronaldo shared a cryptic message on social media, adding to speculation regarding his future. It was believed that Al-Hilal are planning to make a move for the 40-year-old once his contract runs out.

However, recent reports have suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo is all set to sign a new deal with Al-Nassr. The situation has forced Al-Hilal to consider an alternative big-name signing, and they have set their sights on Theo Hernanez.

Interestingly, the French left-back has previously been linked with a move to Real Madrid. The LaLiga giants are also in the market for a new left-back this summer, and Hernandez could be an option.

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The 27-year-old spent two seasons with Los Blancos (2017-19), but left after failing to impress. However, Hernandez has since gotten his career back on track and has been quite impressive for AC Milan of late.

The Frenchman registered five goals and six assists from 49 games across competitions in the 2024-25 season. Real Madrid, though, remain heavily linked with a move for former academy player Alvaro Carreras for the left-back position.

Al-Hilal are now ready to move for Hernandez and have already established contact with the Rossoneri regarding a deal. However, there has been no agreement yet, and the player has yet to give his thumbs up to the move.

How many goals did Cristiano Ronaldo score for Real Madrid?

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 from Manchester United and went on to become the club's record goalscorer. The Portuguese superstar spent nine seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, winning 16 trophies.

Ronaldo parted ways with Los Blancos in the summer of 2018 to move to Juventus. By then, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner had registered 450 goals and 131 assists from 438 games for the LaLiga giants.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 311 goals from 292 games for Real Madrid in LaLiga, winning the trophy twice in his career. Only Lionel Messi, Ronaldo's archnemesis, has scored more (474 goals in 520 games) than the Portuguese icon in the top tier of Spanish football. Ronaldo also scored 105 goals from 101 games in the Champions League for Los Blancos.

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Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

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