Portuguesa president Alex Bourgeois has expressed his desire to persuade Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to join the Brazilian club.
The Paulista A1 side is making bold moves to attract high-profile European players, having previously attempted to sign Radamel Falcao and Nani.
Now, they have set their sights on securing Portugal legend Ronaldo.
Speaking to CNN, Bourgeois explained: “Reinforcement and rescue the pride of the Portuguese community here in Brazil, yes, that was exactly it (the attempt to sign Nani).
“We are behind and we will try for 2026, for the 2026 Paulistão, to bring in a great Portuguese.
“He’s the greatest Portuguese of all time, he’s the greatest personality in the world today.
“It would be great, but I can imagine how many people don’t offer anything related to Portugal to Cristiano Ronaldo, right?
“But it’s obvious that he’s a great Portuguese, and obviously, at some point, we’re going to have to try to talk.”
He further outlined the club’s long-term vision: “What we need, which is part of our strategic plan, is to create a bridge between Brazil and Portugal through Portuguesa, for Portuguesa to be this channel.
“We are already making some progress in this direction. We believe that this will bring many people from this community of 25 million closer to us.
“There are many things in Portugal, besides Portuguese football, for which Brazilians go there, whether it be for wine, food, religion, beaches, etc.
“So, what we want is to bring all of this to the closest place here in Brazil to create this bridge” he added.
Ronaldo, now 40, is nearing the end of his contract with Al-Nassr and is free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement.
However, speculation suggests he could be looking to extend his stay in the Middle East.
In fact, reports indicate that a potential new deal worth €183 million (£154m/$188m) per year could be on the cards to cement his status as the world’s highest-paid footballer.
Meanwhile, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid icon has been omitted from Al-Nassr’s squad for their AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal in Iran.
He is expected to return to action on 7 March, when his team faces Al-Shabab in the Saudi Pro League.
Despite his contract running out, according to talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, Al Nassr are looking to extend Ronaldo’s stay by another year.
Whilst the extension is not yet complete, talks are said to be progressing positively with the star set to be offered a deal worth £3million-a-week plus bonuses as well as taking up a new role on the side.
The 40-year-old will also become an ambassador for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia in a nine-year deal after FIFA confirmed last month that the nation will host the tournament for the first time.
Ronaldo is understood to be keen to stay in Saudi Arabia as he looks to keep himself in contention for the 2026 World Cup.
