Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr rival plots using Carlo Ancelotti to lure Real Madrid superstar in €800m deal: Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr Saudi Arabian rivals, Al-Hilal, are preparing an audacious €800 million bid aimed at snatching Real Madrid's star Vinícius Jr. They are also considering appointing Carlo Ancelotti as the new head coach to facilitate this transfer.
A report from Sports Zone (via GFFN) has revealed that Al-Hilal could seek to replace the current manager, Jorge Jesus, with Ancelotti. The main reason behind this is the strong bond between the Italian manager and Vinicius during their time at Real Madrid.
This will serve to lure the Brazilian forward into the Saudi Pro League. The total of €800 million will be included in transfer fees, salary, and bonuses. It will probably top the list of the most expensive transfers in football history.
Ancelotti has faced scrutiny over his future at the Santiago Bernabeu after an underwhelming season. He could reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema if he chooses to move to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Los Blancos have been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by Arsenal, while losing 3-2 to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.
They are currently four points adrift of the Blaugrana in La Liga with five matches remaining. Interestingly, while the Italian manager has been linked to the Brazilian national team ahead of the World Cup, recent developments point to a change of plan. Meanwhile, Real are likely planning to name Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso as Ancelotti's successor.
Mbappe beats Cristiano Ronaldo's record for debut goals at Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe has surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo's debut season after a brilliant free-kick into the net against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final. He scored his 34th goal of the 2024-25 season, overtaking Ronaldo's tally of 33, which was set in the 2009-10 season.
Real Madrid, however, did lose the final 3-2 in extra time, with the all-important strike coming from Jules Kounde. While Mbappe set personal records, he was unfortunately unable to influence the silverware haul for the Spanish capital giants. He struggled to find the net often when he started at the Bernabeu, but he broke through the drought and began scoring regularly.
Those 34 goals have come in 51 for Mbappe, while Cristiano Ronaldo had 33 goals in just 35 games (via Marca). He now has an eye on Ivan Zamorano's club mark of 37 goals in a debut season, set up in the 1992–93 campaign.
Currently, Kylian Mbappe leads Madrid's scoring for this season in the league with 22 to Vinícius Junior's 11 and Jude Bellingham's eight scored so far.
