Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival has a downside for Al-Nassr: His presence makes our games more difficult

Brazilian Luiz Gustavo believes opposing teams are now more motivated

Posted Wednesday, February 08, 2023 by Marca.com

Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia presents a challenge for his team-mates, who have seen their opponents become a little more competitive since the Portuguese's arrival.

The 38-year-old seems to be struggling to adapt, although he has now scored his first goal for Rudi Garcia's side in his third start.

In the end it was a penalty that saw the former Manchester United forward open his account, although it only managed to salvage a 2-2 draw against Al Fateh.

Results alone have shown Al-Nassr are finding life tougher with Ronaldo in their team, but Luis Gustavo believes there is an explanation.

"Certainly Ronaldo's presence makes the games more difficult for us," admitted Luiz Gustavo in an interview with RT Arabic.

"All the teams try to play against him in the best possible way, and he motivates everyone to give their best".

Al-Nassr hoping to learn from Cristiano Ronaldo

For Luiz Gustavo, Cristiano is built to overcome big challenges and everyone in the team expects him to produce an avalanche of goals after relieving the pressure by scoring his first.

"His presence in the team gives a great advantage to the group because we learn from him every day, given the great abilities he possesses both technically and physically," he continued.

Al-Nassr are flirting with Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets' future is not set in stone, he is wanted by MLS clubs, but there is also an offer from Saudi Arabian football, who are looking to add more stars to their league in order to attract the spotlight ahead of their bid to host the 2030 World Cup.

Al-Nassr have reportedly made a proposal to the Barcelona captain to sign for two seasons for around 19.2 million dollars a year.

This offer comes as Busquets will finish his contract at the end of the current LaLiga Santander campaign and has yet to receive a renewal offer from Los Cules.