Al Nassr’s transfer activity in the last 2 transfer windows has been certainly eye-catching. They acquired established superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, and Aymeric Laporte. However, a former player doesn’t seem impressed. In fact, as per him, what matters to the Riyadh-based club is only the ‘name‘ of the player above anything else. What could he be implying? Uzbek star Jaloliddin Masharipov, who played for Al Nassr between 2021 & 2023, finds his former club’s transfer approach incorrect.
He explained (translated via DeepL), “Al Nassr didn’t have a good transfer market, I think they only focused on names, unlike Al Hilal, who had an excellent transfer market.” While it is true that Al Nassr bought some heavy hitters in the market, they made some shrewd acquisitions like Seko Fofana, Otavio, Sadio Mane, and more. On the other hand, while Al Hilal has been the best side in the league, their big money transfer hasn’t worked out at all. Neymar, bought from PSG for $98 million, has played just 5 games in total for the Saudi side before an ACL tear ended his season prematurely. He has effectively finished one year of his two-year contract already.
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨— ماشاريبوف :
النصر لم يقم بسوق انتقالات جيد اعتقد انهم ركزوا فقط على الأسماء
عكس الهلال الذي قام بسوق انتقالات ممتاز
في النصر بكل صراحة لا احد يستحق الاستثمار من بإستثناء كريستيانو رونالدو و اوسبينا pic.twitter.com/8DA7DWJsf6
— سهم (@1SMi_) January 24, 2024
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Hence, Masharipov’s claim that Al Hilal doing better in the market is puzzling. However, what’s most surprising is his next claim. Masharipov said, “At Al Nasr, in all honesty, no one is worth investing in except for Cristiano Ronaldo and Ospina.” CR7 is the top scorer for the side and has certainly lived up to the expectations. However, David Ospina does not fall into the same category, as per current reports. It is arguable as to whether Ospina has a future at the club at all.
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Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, David Ospina is not a part of Luis Castro’s plans
In January 2023, the Colombian goalkeeper suffered an elbow injury. This sidelined him until November 30, a period during which he missed 43 games! Fortunately, for Al Nassr, Nawaf Alaqidi has been a more than capable replacement. However, it seems to have effectively ended David Ospina’s first-team chances. He has not started any of Al Nassr’s recent matches.
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Moreover, the veteran goalkeeper has also received offers from Mexico & Brazil. His contract ends next summer & unless Al Nassr sells him in January, the star will leave on a free. Do you agree with Masharipov’s statements? Tell us in the comments below.
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