According to Odion Ighalo, Cristiano Ronaldo relocated to Saudi Arabia not out of a love for the game but merely for financial gain.

Ighalo, who was a player for Al-Hilal, was the best scorer in the Saudi Pro League last season; however, he was dismissed at the conclusion of the season. He now thinks that Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr along with Benzema, is doing the same thing, having travelled to the country solely for a paycheck.

 Ighalo, 34, said to OmaSportsTV: “When you are young, yes, you play for passion. Back then, you don’t care about money. But at my age, I am in the final stretch of my career, I don’t know if it will be one, two years or when God will tell it to stop.

“I know it won’t be more than three years. I’ve played for passion all my life, now it’s for money. I’m not one of those players who come and say: ‘I play for passion’. Brother, it’s money. At the end of the day, it’s money.

“Is Ronaldo still playing out of passion? Ronaldo has earned 100 times more than I have in my entire life and yet he went to Saudi Arabia. Did he do that out of passion? It’s for money, bro.”

This summer, a number of players have relocated to Saudi Arabia, Jordan Henderson being the most recent. During this transfer window, players like Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, and Roberto Firmino also arrived in the nation.

With Fabinho said to be moving to Ittihad, the Saudi Pro League influx doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

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Following Lionel Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami, Cristiano Ronaldo asserts that the Saudi Pro League is superior to Major League Soccer and declares he would never play in Europe again.

After his contract with Manchester United expired in December of last year, Ronaldo made the unexpected move to Al-Nassr.

This summer, a number of well-known athletes have moved to Saudi Arabia, including Steven Gerrard, the former captain of Liverpool, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Roberto Firmino.

After choosing to leave Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer earlier this summer, Messi decided to take a different route and was later presented as Inter Miami’s new signing on Sunday evening.

Ronaldo strongly ruled out a return to European football after Al-Nassr were defeated 5-0 by Celta Vigo on Monday night in a preseason friendly and believes several leagues have dropped in quality.

‘No, that door is completely closed,’ Ronaldo told Portuguese media when asked about a potential return to a European club.

‘I’m already 38-and-a-half years old and it’s not worth it.

‘In my way of seeing football, I think Europe has lost a lot of quality. The only league that for me has a lot of quality and is at a higher level than all the others is the Premier League.

‘The Spanish league does not have that great quality. The Portuguese league is a good league, but it is not a top, top league. The German league I think has also lost a lot. I’m sure I won’t play in Europe again. I want to play in Saudi Arabia.

Asked about a possible move to MLS, Ronaldo replied: ‘I think the Saudi league is much better than the United States. My team is Al-Nassr.’

Ronaldo, 38, also believes he has been the catalyst for several other players to make the move from Europe to Saudi Arabia this year.

‘100 per cent. It’s a fact,’ Ronaldo said.

‘It was going to take a year, but it was six months. I was wrong for six months.

‘But I knew this was going to happen because in the Italian league, when I went there, it was also dead and then rejuvenated.

‘Where Cristiano goes, it generates greater interest and I knew it was going to be like that. I’m sure that next season more stars will go there [to Saudi Arabia].’

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Darwin Nunez has chosen to take over the No. 9 shirt left vacant by Roberto Firmino for the next Premier League season, according to Liverpool.

Nunez will change from No. 27 to No. 9 for the start of the upcoming Premier League season, according to Liverpool. The forward has taken over the number that was left vacant following Firmino’s free transfer to Saudi club Al-Ahli. Liverpool have also stated that the attacker will refund fans who have already purchased his No. 27 jersey.

 “Darwin Nunez will wear the No.9 jersey for Liverpool for 2023-24,” read a club statement. “The forward has opted to take the number that was left vacant after the departure of Roberto Firmino upon the expiry of his contract earlier this summer. Fans who have already purchased new 2023-24 home and away jerseys printed with the name ‘Darwin’ and the number ‘27’ will be personally reimbursed by Nunez with a like-for-like exchange for a ‘Darwin 9’ shirt.”

Nunez will be the latest player to don Liverpool’s historic No. 9 shirt. Club legends like Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, and Fernando Torres have previously designed the legendary jersey.

Liverpool’s 2023-24 Premier League season is set to begin on August 13 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

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Roberto Firmino, who left Liverpool for Al-Alhi on a free transfer, is the newest player to relocate to Saudi Arabia.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Firmino has joined the ranks of other players who have travelled to Saudi Arabia, including Edouard Mendy, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Mendy joined Firmino’s team in 2023–2024 because he transferred from Chelsea to Al-Ahli at the same time.

Bobby Firmino, Al Ahli player ✅🟢🇧🇷 https://t.co/tPgey480uC

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 4, 2023

Firmino played at Liverpool for eight years, making 35 games and scoring 13 goals. He won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup while playing with the Reds.

Firmino will join Al-Ahli as they continue their 2023–24 season preparations.

Official, confirmed. Roberto Firmino joins Al Ahli on free transfer. 🚨🟢🇸🇦

Deal completed on three year contract. pic.twitter.com/MYtygNa5ZR

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 4, 2023

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The legendary Sadio Mane of Liverpool is the most recent ex-teammate of Roberto Firmino to laud him after ending his career at Anfield.

After a fantastic eight years on Merseyside, Firmino has decided to quit the Reds when his contract expires this summer.

Liverpool has produced a three-part documentary in his honour, detailing Firmino’s tenure with the team and featuring interviews with his close friends and family.

In addition to Mane, who departed Liverpool for Bayern Munich last summer, Mohamed Salah also seemed to highlight Firmino’s influence.

“I think we did incredible things together. I am so grateful. I think Bobby is a special player. For me, wow, what a number nine,” Mane said.

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Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, has acknowledged that he would miss Roberto Firmino “as a human” as much as a footballer.

Firmino has said he will quit his eight-year tenure at Anfield when his contract with the Reds expires later this month.

The Brazilian departs after netting a late equalizer in his final home match, a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, and then netting Liverpool’s second in their 4-4 season-ending tie against Southampton.

In an excerpt from Bobby, a farewell video that Liverpool plans to use to say goodbye to Firmino, manager Jurgen Klopp expresses how much he will miss the 31-year-old.

“He is so integral for everything what happened here in my time. I think he is still the player who started most games even when recently he didn’t start that often,” Klopp said.

“It’s just that I couldn’t imagine for a long, long time how our game would look without him. So, we had to find ways when he was not available and we came through these spells: Sadio [Mane] last year, for example, did exceptional, did that really well.

“But yes, as a person, as a human, as a boy, I will miss him. As a player we all will miss him, but anyway I think it’s the right way to part ways: very respectful, with tears in our eyes and with the knowledge that we will definitely miss each other because it will be the other way around the same.

“But we are professional football people and we have to part ways from time to time, it’s a completely normal thing. So, we will stay friends forever definitely, I will be grateful forever for everything he did for us, for me, and he will go down as one of the Liverpool greats.

“What can you wish more for in a footballer’s life than that?”

Firmino is free to speak with other teams about his future, and rumours out of Spain indicate that Real Madrid is interested in the attacker.

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Liverpool has asked for an explanation from PGMOL, the organization that regulates Premier League officiating, over two decisions that were made incorrectly during the expensive weekend draw with Aston Villa.

A late Roberto Firmino goal gave the Reds a chance to tie the game at 1-1, but Manchester United’s victory allowed them to pass them in the race for a top-four finish and Champions League qualifying.

Since then, Jurgen Klopp has admitted defeat and is now concentrating on competing in the Europa League.

Liverpool, though, is still seeking clarification on two contentious Villa game rulings.

One saw a potential Cody Gakpo equaliser that was ruled out when Virgil van Dijk was deemed to be offside. Van Dijk had been beyond the last line of defence when Luis Diaz attempted to head back across goal, but the ball rebounded to him off Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa.

A player cannot be offside when a defender deliberately makes an attempt to play the ball. But referee John Brooks was advised by the VAR official to consult the pitch-side monitor and ruled the goal out, having decided that Konsa’s contact on the ball to send it to Van Dijk was accidental.

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Roberto Firmino has explained why he chose not to extend his Liverpool contract.

When his contract expires this summer, the Brazilian attacker will quit the team, ending an unforgettable eight-year stint on Merseyside.

Firmino has won seven titles during his stint with the Reds and has earned a reputation as the unselfish third striker in Liverpool’s frontline, serving as the ideal balance to the clinical Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

However, Firmino gave an explanation of why it’s time for him to move on before this weekend’s final game at Anfield against Aston Villa.

“It is time, unfortunately,” he said to the Independent. “The cycle here is ended and I understand it is time to go.

“I am very proud for everything that I have done here with the team, what we achieved together and the beautiful history we made together. It was absolutely incredible. We are leaving a great legacy.

“It is a privilege. That makes me happy, I’m OK with that,” he added when it was put to him he symbolised what Jurgen Klopp’s side stood for.

“Sometimes I enjoy more the assists than actually scoring a goal myself. To play alongside these two guys [Salah and Mane], top players, it was an honour and a pleasure for me.”

Liverpool are hopeful that Firmino will overcome a minor injury in time to take to the pitch one last time at Anfield on Saturday.

Despite playing less games than in previous years, Firmino has produced decent figures this time, scoring 11 goals and dishing out five assists in 33 outings for the Reds across all competitions.

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According to manager Jurgen Klopp, Roberto Firmino of Liverpool is getting closer to making his injury recovery.

Firmino missed Liverpool’s game against Nottingham Forest due to a muscular injury he sustained in training. He will also be missing for their upcoming matches against West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Brazilian striker has not yet returned to training with the rest of the squad, according to Jurgen Klopp, who gave the pre-match press conference prior to Wednesday’s encounter between Liverpool and West Ham.

Although he could soon resume light training, Klopp hopes Firmino plays for the team before the season is out.

“If everything goes well I think he could be in partial training today. That’s what I heard yesterday. He was not in team training yet but he could do warming up, if we do rondos he could do that and then he has again to do his own programme. So it means, yes, [he is] much closer, much, much closer,” said the Liverpool manager.

The Brazilian forward’s eight-year tenure at Anfield will come to an end at the end of the current campaign since he has chosen not to extend his deal with the Reds.

Firmino has won seven titles while playing for the Merseyside club, including one Champions League and one Premier League. Fans will be hoping he receives a suitable send-off before departing.

“We are still thinking that… this week, no, I hope that at the end of the week he is closer, but so far he was not in team training, so that’s it,” stated Klopp on whether Firmino could get a send-off at the end of the season.

Firmino’s contract with Liverpool will expire at the end of the season, making him a free agent. Many teams, notably Inter Milan, are interested in signing him this summer.

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After the 2-2 draw against Liverpool in the title race, Mikel Arteta has urged his team to depend on the talent they displayed in the first half of the match.

Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli both scored for Arsenal throughout the first 30 minutes of play. At the break, Mohamed Salah gave the Gunners a setback with a goal, and Roberto Firmino, a substitute, subsequently equalized in the 87th minute.

To guarantee that they left Anfield with a draw, the Gunners were then left to depend on two incredible stops from goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Arteta revealed that he told his players that they shouldn’t rely on the ‘resilience’ shown late in the game during the closely-fought Premier League title race:

“[We have to] convince them to keep playing like we did in the first 30 minutes. The lesson is not from the second half and the resilience. We don’t want to rely on that, we want to rely on what we did in the first half.”

In addition, Arteta talked about how outstanding his squad was in the opening 30 minutes and acknowledged that the game’s course was altered by a “very poor goal” just before halftime:

“The game was under control but after that we concede a really sloppy goal and the game shifted momentum. We started well in the first few minutes [of the second half] but then lost control. It became a very transitional game, very chaotic.

“Liverpool could score three or four. It is true we could have scored two or three so maybe at the end the score is fair.

“I haven’t seen anyone do it [dominate] in this ground this season. They beat every big team here, they played Real Madrid and could have been four up after 20 minutes. They are going to have moments. You need to deal with them and we did. Our goalkeeper had a big part in that.

“We could taken three points. We should do that [play like the first half] for another 15 minutes and then the game would have taken a very different trajectory. We didn’t. We have to take the point.”

At the top of the Premier League standings, Arsenal is currently six points ahead of Manchester City, who still has a game in hand.

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Jurgen Klopp has disclosed that he wants Roberto Firmino to sign a new contract at Liverpool but did not want to delve into why an agreement has not been reached just yet.

The Brazilian’s contract expires in the summer, and Juventus has frequently been mentioned as a potential destination for him to move to continental Europe.

Firmino has reclaimed his starting position for Liverpool after losing it over the past few seasons. He has nine goals in 21 games in all competitions so far this season.

When asked about the hold up in agreeing a new contract, Klopp told the press: “They are normal things. What could be the reason from our point of view?

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“There is no reason to give too detailed information but when you think a bit, where could it hang? It could be the time, it could be the money or these kinds of things, but it is completely normal.

“Bobby knows the situation here and what we think of him, that’s clear. And there is nothing else to say, there is no problem or whatever, it is just the situation. I can’t see any kind of problems there.

“He was [so important], he is. I think in the first part of the season we were not flying but Bobby was the only one who played a pretty good season. He was probably the only one who played a kind of normal season in a lot of games, at least.”

Firmino has also revealed that he would like to stay at Anfield beyond this season.

“It’s fantastic playing high-level football here with great players. I’m happy here and I intend to stay here and help Liverpool,” he recently told the media.

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Liverpool has announced the signing of Dutch attacker Cody Gakpo from PSV for a transfer fee that could reach £44 million with add-ons.

Gakpo, who scored three goals for the Netherlands at the World Cup and has 12 goals overall for PSV this season, has been officially signed by the Reds. He will join a Liverpool attack currently missing Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Roberto Firmino due to injuries; these concerns about his fitness and transfer interest from other clubs compelled the Reds to take urgent action for the youngster.

Gakpo has long been a special interest of Klopp’s, and it is believed that the club’s management and PSV were able to reach an agreement over just three days on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.

Liverpool, which currently doesn’t have a spot in the top four, wants to match any potential investment in January by rivals Chelsea and Newcastle. Gakpo is now a member of their club, and his contract is anticipated to expire in 2028.

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“I feel really good, I’m really excited to be here,” Gakpo said in a club statement. “I’m looking forward to start training and start playing for this amazing club.

“I think this is a great club for me to come in and try to show what I can [do] and try to help the team to achieve more beautiful moments that they already did in the past years. “I think for me personally it’s also good to develop here and there’s a lot of great players here [who] I can learn a lot of things from.”

Under Jurgen Klopp, Gakpo could operate as a No. 10, a striker, or off the left side. This examination of the newest Anfield hire shows his full range of alternatives.

When Gakpo makes his Liverpool debut, he will be the first Dutch attacking player to do so since Dirk Kuyt.

The 23-year-old will try to play as soon as he is officially registered, but the Reds are reluctant to throw him into the mix right away after his World Cup performance. Although it’s too early to provide a concrete timeline for his acclimation to the club, Liverpool is hopeful that he can pick up the pace quickly enough to start on January 21 against Chelsea.

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