Cristiano Ronaldo Jr could be poised to leave Al-Nassr’s youth academy after he was spotted training with one of Europe’s biggest clubs this week.
The 15-year-old, who is the eldest child of legendary Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, is on the path to becoming a professional footballer after making his debut for Portugal’s Under-16s in October.
The youngster won’t be short of international options
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr Training With European Giants
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr
However, the teenager could be set to leave his family behind in Saudi Arabia after he trained with Real Madrid’s academy on Tuesday. The Athletic say Ronaldo Jr trained with Real Madrid’s Under-16 side with a view to joining the youth team in the near future.
Ronaldo Jr’s dad is Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer with 450 goals in 438 games. After joining the Spanish giants for a record-breaking £80 million fee from Manchester United in the summer of 2009, Cristiano went on to cement his status as one of the greatest footballers in history at the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo Jr was born one year after his dad signed for Los Blancos in California, United States. However, he has his sights set on emulating his father by representing the Portugal national team at senior level one day.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s eldest son’s height has become a talking point after he was seen stood alongside his father on social media.
Ronaldo Expressed Doubts Over Son’s Ability to Reach Top in 2020
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr and his family in 2017
In 2020, when Ronaldo Jr was only 10 years old, Cristiano expressed doubts over his son’s chances of reaching the top.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner said at the time: “I’m hard with him sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta sometimes and I’m p***** with him.
“I fight with him when he eats chips and fries and everything, he knows I don’t like it.
“Even my small kids, when they eat chocolate they always look to me and, you know, we have to be strong.
“But to be honest he has potential, he is a big boy, he’s fast and he’s driven well. But this nothing, I tell him every time, it takes a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work.”
Tracking the leading contenders to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award in 2026.
He added: “Sometimes when we’re at home I say ‘go to the treadmill to run a bit’ and after the treadmill I say ‘now go to the cold water to recover to do it tomorrow again,’ and it’s ‘daddy, it’s so cold the water I don’t want to do it’.
“But I understand it, he’s only 10 years old, it’s up to him, I’m not gonna push nothing for him to be a football player.”
Six years later and Ronaldo Jr’s dedication to football has resulted in the opportunity of joining arguably the world’s biggest football. But both he and his father will be acutely aware that there’s still a long way to go from here.
Rangers have set their sights on Hull City goalkeeper Ivor Pandur and are preparing a swap deal for the Croatian, according to Alan Nixon.
Pandur has emerged as a target as the Gers look to add a senior shot-stopper to new manager Derek McInnes’ squad. They are said to have also explored a move for Sunderland’s Anthony Patterson, but are now focused on Hull’s number one.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a fine season with the Tigers, helping them earn promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs. He has been at MKM Stadium since January 2024 and has just one year left on his contract.
Rangers Ready Swap Deal For Pandur
Nixon claims on Patreon that Rangers don’t want to pay Hull’s £10million asking price for Pandur. Instead, they are willing to send Jack Butland in the opposite direction.
The 33-year-old was Danny Rohl’s number one throughout last season, appearing 55 times across competitions. A player plus cash deal could appeal to the newly-promoted Premier League side.
Pandur is currently on international duty with Croatia at the World Cup but could be on the move during the tournament. McInnes will expect to be backed in the summer transfer window, and the Croat could be the first of many new faces to arrive at Ibrox.
Crystal Palace are reportedly eyeing Toulouse defender Charlie Cresswell as a potential Maxence Lacroix replacement, according to Alan Nixon.
Lacroix looks likely to be headed for the exit door at Selhurst Park as Chelsea look to sign the French centre-back. Fabrizio Romano reports that the west London outfit have started talks to bring the 26-year-old to Stamford Bridge.
Palace sold Marc Guehi to Manchester City in January for £20m, and losing Lacroix will be a massive blow. He’s been a rock in central defence ever since arriving from VfL Wolfsburg in August 2024 for £18m.
Newly-appointed Eagles boss Pierre Sage will have been keen on working with the player who earned a call-up to France’s squad for the World Cup. Steve Parish’s transfer chiefs appear to be putting plans in place to try to deal with his exit and could turn to Cresswell.
New Crystal Palace boss is a big fan of Cresswell
Nixon reports on his Patreon that Palace are “looking into a deal for Cresswell” and Sage is a “big fan.” He’ll have come up against the former Leeds United man during his time coaching Lens and Lyon in Ligue 1.
Cresswell joined Toulouse from Leeds back in July 2024 for £3.8m, and he’s been a mainstay in the French team ever since. Last season, he made 32 appearances across competitions, even posting four goals and three assists.
Palace could sign the former England U21 international “if the price is right,” and he’s viewed as an ideal replacement for Lacroix. His powerful profile and “warrior” playing style could be a good fit.
Palace may not reinvest Lacroix money at all
There is a possibility that the South London outfit sticks with their current options. Chadi Riad has been excellent since returning from injury and has been a standout performer for Morocco at the World Cup.
Jaydee Canvot stepped up following Guehi’s departure and earned a regular starting berth in Oliver Glasner’s side. He partnered Lacroix and the always consistent Chris Richards in defence.
Cresswell could be a solid addition to Sage’s squad, but shouldn’t be viewed as a priority. A previous report from The Athletic claims that Toulouse values the player at around £26m after rebuffing an offer from Wolfsburg in January.
Palace could be aided by their relationship with the Ligue 1 club, from whom they signed Canvot last summer. They paid £23m for the young French centre-back and might be able to draw on prior business between the two clubs.
Tottenham have received a big boost in their reported bid to land a statement Premier League deal this summer. Spurs have been one of the busiest teams in the summer transfer window so far, snapping up four new signings already, including Martin Dubravka, who is their latest signing.
Roberto De Zerbi wants a whole new look to his Tottenham squad, and few can blame him, given how poorly Spurs have performed in the last two Premier League campaigns. There is a real ‘enough is enough’ feel to this particular Tottenham recruitment drive, and money will continue to be spent over the coming weeks and months.
Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali has emerged as one of Tottenham’s top targets in this window. In fact, Spurs have already seen a £75million offer for the Italian rejected, with Newcastle holding out for something between £80million and £90million.
There were reports doing the rounds that Tonali would prefer a move elsewhere as he looks to play Champions League football, but according to a fresh report from Sky Sports News. that is not the case.
According to the report, Tonali is, in fact, ready to join Tottenham, as long as they can reach a deal with a current club. It’s reported the midfielder is keen to play for De Zerbi, and he is said to have been offered £275,000-per-week to make the move to Hotspur Way.
Why do Tottenham want Tonali?
via Reuters
Tottenham are willing to spend big money to land Tonali, and that’s because they know they would be getting a proven Premier League player who is capable of playing in just about any midfield. De Zerbi wants this Spurs side to be dominant and attacking, and that’s what Tonali brings.
The Italian is an aggressive player whose game revolves around winning the ball back as quick as possible and driving up the pitch. Described as ‘fast’ and a ‘complete midfielder’ who is able to play as a six, eight and a 10 by The Athletic, Tonali – pardon the pun – is a tone-setting midfielder who demands those around him to play with an attacking mindset.
He is not the player for a more patient and structured team, but that is not how De Zerbi wants this Spurs team to play. He wants front-footed football, and Tonali can help make that happen.
