‘If Cristiano Ronaldo had called me…’ – Lille’s Alexsandro reveals Al-Nassr interest | OneFootball

Alexsandro (26) remained at Lille OSC this summer, however, there wasn’t a lack of interest in the defender, as he has revealed.

Alexsandro had a breakout campaign at Lille, alongside Bafodé Diakité. The latter made the move to Bournemouth during the transfer window. Earlier in the summer, LOSC’s president, Olivier Létang, was clear that he was open to selling one of his centre-backs, but he was insistent that both would not leave, as the club looked to strike the difficult balance between filling the coffers and maintaining competitiveness on the pitch.

As a result, when Diakité made his move to the Premier League, Lille’s stance on a departure for Alexsandro was clear – he would not be sold.

However, speaking to Brazilian media 365 Scores while on international duty, the centre-back has revealed that there was interest from Saudi Arabia. “I spoke with him (Létang) and clearly told him that I didn’t want to leave, but also that I didn’t absolutely want to stay either. It all depended on him; I wasn’t going to fight because I am grateful for the opportunity that he has given me at Lille. Everything went calmly. We know that Saudi Arabia is a tempting offer,” admitted Alexsandro.

He then went on to specify the interested party. “The only offer I received was from Al-Nassr, but Létang didn’t want to let me leave. He said he needed me this year,” he revealed. Whilst the Brazilian wasn’t going  to force through a move, he revealed the situation in which he may have altered his approach.

“Imagine if (Cristiano Ronaldo) had called me… but no, no Portuguese player rang me. If he had rang me, things might have been different (laughs),” he joked.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle