Manchester City have reportedly sent scouts to watch Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr teammate Abdulrahman Ghareeb at the AFC Asian Cup.
The 26-year-old winger is expected to be in action when Saudi Arabia face South Korea in a round of 16 fixture on Tuesday (January 30). Ghareeb’s nation finished finished on top of Group F with seven points, two clear of second-placed Thailand.
The Al-Nassr forward has managed to find the net once in the competition, which was the equaliser in a 2-1 victory over Oman on January 16. Overall, he’s made 21 appearances for Saudi Arabia and has scored twice.
In the Saudi Pro League, Ghareeb has found the net once and produced five assists from 18 appearances. Owing to his performances of late, it is believed that the Cityzens are observing the winger’s performances (via @sadaalmalaeb).
Manchester City lost Riyad Mahrez last summer and could be looking to add to their wide options. Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku currently share the burden on the left flank while Phil Foden plays off the right.
A move to the Etihad would mean that Ghareeb would have to contend with the aforementioned names for game time. Additionally, Bernardo Silva could be deployed on the flanks if needed.
However, the transfer would earn Ghareeb an opportunity to play in the Premier League and for a club challenging for major honors. Manchester City completed the treble last year, winning the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, and the Premier League.
When Cristiano Ronaldo revealed he was close to joining Manchester City
Cristiano Ronaldo revealed in his infamous interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022 that he was close to joining Manchester City instead of Manchester United.
The Portuguese icon decided to return to Old Trafford for a second spell on a reported €17 million deal from Juventus in 2021. Claiming that he nearly signed for Pep Guardiola’s side at the time, Ronaldo said (via Eurosport):
“Honestly, it [moving to City] was close. They spoke a lot and Guardiola said two weeks ago that they tried hard to have me. But, as you know, my history is in Manchester United. Your heart, you’re feeling the way you did before, and it made the difference.”
However, Ronaldo’s second stint with the Red Devils would not end well as he had his contract mutually terminated before joining Al-Nassr in January 2023. During the 2022/23 campaign, the Real Madrid icon bagged just one Premier League goal in 10 appearances.
