RedBird explores Al Nassr takeover
Gerry Cardinale, the owner of American firm RedBird Capital Partners, is looking into buying Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr. RedBird acquired an 85 percent majority stake in French team Toulouse FC in 2020, and completed the acquisition of Italian club AC Milan two years later.
Cardinale spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport about the potential deal for Al Nassr, which is currently owned by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. He confirmed discussions have taken place, saying, "There have been discussions to assess the Al Nassr opportunity and I was contacted to look into it, but we are at a preliminary stage. I work a lot in the Middle East." He added, "I'll continue to assess the possibilities of managing multiple clubs, although I already have Toulouse and AC Milan."
Cristiano Ronaldo part ownership option
Cristiano Ronaldo has played for Al Nassr since 2023, and his contract expires in June 2027. Under a takeover plan led by RedBird Capital Partners, the 41 year old could become a part owner of the Saudi Arabian team.
Cardinale wants to speak directly with the Portuguese star. Cardinale said, "I'd like to meet Ronaldo because I'm curious to find out what he might want to do when he retires and what his future involvement with the Saudi club might be."
On the pitch, Ronaldo remains in strong form. He scored a hat trick against Al Kholood in a 5-3 Saudi Pro League win on Thursday, moving to within 15 goals of 1,000 career goals. Boxer Oleksandr Usyk attended the match and described Ronaldo as "an alien". After the game, Ronaldo posted to social media, "Great win, great team performance. Happy to help with a hat trick!"
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