After Opening Up on Complicated ‘Heat’ Issues, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Former Teammate Decides to Jump on Saudi Arabia Bandwagon

In December 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo sent shock waves into the soccer world after making a surprise switch to Saudi Arabia. The player agreed on a mouth-watering deal to move to Al Nassr. The transfer saw him receive major criticism from netizens, who didn’t expect the Portuguese striker’s decision.

However, since his big money move, a lot of developments have occurred within the span of six months. Players from Europe are also following in the footsteps of the former Manchester United man. While the latest addition to the Saudi Pro League was Karim Benzema, we might see another Real Madrid star follow Ronaldo’s suit.

Another Real Madrid star eyeing Saudi Arabia move

After spending 14 years in Madrid, Benzema said his goodbyes to Los Blancos to join Ronaldo’s league. The impact of CR7 seems to be making its way all the way across Europe as another Madrid star is set to join the high ranks of the Middle East. The player is none other than a former teammate of both Ronaldo and Benzema, Mariano Diaz.

As stated by Don Balon, Diaz is the next prospect who is tipped to move to the Gulf country. Al Shabab and Al Fateh are interested in acquiring the services of the 29-year-old. The Dominican Republic forward recently bid farewell to the La Liga giants. Now, the player is without a club and is looking for a potential suitor.

However, the Middle Eastern sides are not the only ones fancying a move for Diaz. Clubs across Italy, Germany, and England are also keeping tabs on the forward. His journey in Madrid has not been a pleasant one. The player has failed to convince all the managers, as they don’t rely heavily on him.

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Perhaps a fresh start is all that is needed for the former Lyon man, which the Saudi clubs are willing to offer. It is now up to Diaz, to decide what he wants. However, if he chooses the Saudi League, perhaps he should also hear what his former teammate has to say about the weather and heat.

Cristiano Ronaldo had to adapt to Middle Eastern heat

Cristiano Ronaldo has acknowledged the challenges he faced while adapting to the heat and training schedules after his transfer to Al-Nassr. The 38-year-old initially struggled with the intense Saudi Arabian heat, where temperatures often exceeded 40 degrees Celsius during the summer.

“The biggest difference I have found in Saudi is obviously the heat and adapting schedules to train later in the day when it is cooler. But I have really gotten used to that now,” he said, as stated by Goal. To combat this, training sessions were primarily conducted in the evenings, which differed from the training routines followed by European clubs. Ronaldo admitted that it took him some time to acclimate to this difference. But he has now settling well into his new surroundings.

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Do you think Mariano Diaz should also join his former teammates in the Saudi Pro League? Let us know in the comments.