Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that Portuguese attacker Joao Felix has agreed to a two-year contract to join Cristiano Ronaldo. Felix, aged 25, saw his fortunes turn south after making a spectacular transfer from Benfica to Atletico Madrid in 2019.
“I’m here to spread joy”, Felix said in a video that was uploaded to the Riyadh club’s X account, “Let’s win together”, he remarked. He signed until 2027, according to a different article.
Six years ago, Felix was signed for 127.7 million euros ($147.3 million) to join Atletico, making him one of the most costly transfers in history. Despite playing for Chelsea, AC Milan, and Barcelona, he has since failed to score more than ten goals each season.
According to Arryadia, a Riyadh sports weekly, Felix will receive $10 million a year. Beginning with Ronaldo’s arrival in 2023, Saudi Arabia has disrupted football by investing extensively on European players. The conservative desert kingdom will host the World Cup in 2034.
Joao Felix and Mateo Retegui, a 26-year-old Serie A top scorer who joined Al Qadsiah last week, defy the pattern of many recruits being aging players.
Earlier this month, 27-year-old French international Theo Hernandez reportedly left AC Milan for Al Hilal in a $29 million deal. Leading managers, like Simone Inzaghi of Italy, who guided Al Hilal to an unexpected victory against Manchester City at the Club World Cup, have also been enticed to Saudi Arabia.
Felix will work under Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus at Al Nassr. Al Hilal fired him in May after the team lost in the Asian Champions League semifinals.
