Al-Nassr is one of the most widely respected and well-known clubs playing in the Saudi Pro League. Not only do they regularly compete for domestic trophies and a spot in the Champions League, but they also became internationally known after Cristiano Ronaldo decided to be the first player in the European leagues to transfer to Saudi Arabia after leaving Manchester United and penning a deal with Al-Nassr.
Now, Al-Nassr has just signed another talented player from the Italian premier league Juventus, one of the best clubs that continuously fights for CL spots and makes it through qualification stages.
Szczesny Moves to Al-Nassr
Wojciech Szczesny has made a verbal agreement with Al-Nassr that will see the current Juventus star move to Saudi Arabia before the 2024-2025 season begins. He started at Juventus a couple of years ago and fought to be the #1 guy between the posts – a position that is hard to lock down due to only being one available per team on the field at one time.
But, in recent months, he has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff and their decisions of who should be the starting goalkeeper. Now, he is looking to leave the club so he can have guaranteed playing time and regularly start for another club.
After arriving at Juventus in 20271, the goalkeeper has been a huge part of the Italian club. He came from Arsenal FC in the Premier League and made a move worth around $20 million – not bad for a young keeper who didn’t get regular English top-tier time. Now, he is looking to move to Al-Nassr for a little over $20 million – a bargain, considering that is approximately what he was signed for.
But, is it a good deal for Al-Nassr? We think so. Over the last seven years where he has shown his skill, tenacity, and longevity at Juventus in Turin, Italy, the goalkeeper has made more than 250 appearances for the club and kept 103 clean sheets. He also had a decorated trophy cabinet, leading Juventus to domestic cups, Supercoppa titles, and three Scudetti titles.
Al-Nassr Squad Looking Forward
Now, Al-Nassr is looking to have a stacked squad list for next season. This past year, they ended up in second place in the Saudi Pro League, falling short of Al-Hilal by 14 points and besting the third-place team by a whopping 17 points. This goes to show just how big the gap is in the Saudi League, with Al Hilal and Al-Nassr easily the two best sides by a long shot.
Currently, Al-Nassr has key players like Cristiano Ronaldo as the prolific goal scorer and winger, Sadio Mane, the ex-Liverpool winger who is still at the top of his game, Telles, a talented defender who runs the back line, and Otavio, a creative midfielder who is the engine of the team.
Adding the Juventus goalkeeper into the mix will give Nawaf Alaqidi and Abdullah something to fight for to see who will be the best #1 for the team.
Al-Nassr will want to seek revenge on Al-Hilal in the dramatic King Cup of Champions that capped off the end of the Saudi Pro League last year. Al-Nassr lost in a dramatic finish that ended with red cards, penalty kicks, and a 5-4 win to Al-Hilal. The game saw both Albulayhi for Al-Hilal earn a red card in the 87th minute and Ospina get a red card for Al-Nassr early on in the game in the 56th minute.
Maybe, if Al-Nassr had a better goalkeeper, they could win this upcoming year.
Also Read: Endrick Becomes First Brazilian Teenager To Score 3 Goals With The National Team Since Pele
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.
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