Football News: Cristiano Ronaldo update, Arsenal interest in Egypt forward, Liverpool eyeing Juventus star
On November 22, Cristiano Ronaldo officially announced his departure from Manchester United. The club released a statement reiterating that Ronaldo closed the chapter of his second spell.
Cristiano Ronaldo could join Saudi Arabian clubAlthough Al-Nassr is the most likely destination, Chelsea could still prepare a last-minute move for the striker as the Portuguese star has yet to seal an agreement with the club from Saudi Arabia.
Al Nassr are firm in their offer, but Ronaldo is waiting for the end of the World Cup. Despite reports claiming Chelsea still have a chance, the 37-year-old striker is expected to play for the Saudi outfit.
The news will be a big blow to the Blues, who are looking for reinforcements to their frontline. Ronaldo is reportedly close to agreeing a record-breaking £172.9 million-a-year contract with Al-Nassr that would bind him to the club until the age of 40.
Al-Nassr are one of Saudi Arabia's elite clubs and the team has won the country's top flight nine times. However, the deal is yet to be signed and Ronaldo has not dropped any hints about his future.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo has decided that the best option for his future is to return to Sporting.<br><br>The Portuguese club and Jorge Mendes are working on his arrival but it’s still far from complete.<br><br>(Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/marca?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marca</a> ) <a href="https://t.co/oJCvoYGoMS">pic.twitter.com/oJCvoYGoMS</a></p>— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeadlineDayLive/status/1563194732791992320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Arsenal pursue Egyptian Omar Marmoush
Arsenal are reportedly close to signing Egyptian Omar Marmoush and the Gunners' sporting director Edu Gaspar has received the green light.
He had joined Wolfsburg in 2017 from Wadi Degla, but has since spent most of his time with the reserve team, as well as having loan spells at FC St. Pauli and VfB Stuttgart.
Marmoush started playing regularly for the Wolves' first team this season after a successful season with Stuttgart, where he scored three goals and provided five assists in 21 games.
The Egyptian returned to Wolfsburg this year after being linked with the likes of Arsenal and their arch-rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. His contract will expire at the end of the season and a new deal is not on the cards.
However, he was intent on committing to his future with Wolfsburg in August this year. As of now, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach also seem interested in signing the Egypt international.
For Arsenal, signing Marmoush would be cheaper than bringing in Mykhaylo Mudryk and Cody Gakpo. If the Gunners sign him in, Marmoush could be the second Egyptian to play for Arsenal after Mohamed Elneny, who has been in the club since 2016.
Liverpool eyeing Juventus star
Liverpool are pursuing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic and are interested in proposing a player-plus-cash deal with the club to set their plans in motion.
The Reds want to bolster their squad after a poor start to the 2022-23 season. They are the sixth-ranked team in the Premier League table with 22 points in 14 games.
Sadio Mane's exit left a gaping hole in the attacking lineup and former Benfica striker Darwin Nunez's arrival failed to weather the storm. Manager Jurgen Klopp is rumoured to be interested in signing Vlahovic.
Liverpool will reportedly offer centre-back Ibrahima Konate in the deal along with money. Meanwhile, Vlahovic's spell at Juventus has yet to produce positive results.
Juventus, who are now third in Serie A with 31 points in 15 matches, have been relegated to the Europa League after being unable to qualify for the Champions League last 16. There is still a slight possibility of them keeping the striker in 2023.