RedBird confirms Al Nassr acquisition inquiry
RedBird Capital Partners is exploring an investment in Al Nassr, with founder Gerry Cardinale confirming preliminary discussions and expressing interest in Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential role at the Saudi club after retirement.
AC Milan owner RedBird Capital Partners has held preliminary discussions about acquiring Al Nassr as founder Gerry Cardinale considers expanding the firm’s football investments into Saudi Arabia.Cardinale confirmed that he had been approached about the opportunity, while emphasising that talks concerning the club remain at an early stage.He said: “There have been conversations to evaluate the Al Nassr opportunity, and they’ve contacted me to explore it, but we’re still at a preliminary stage.“I work a lot in the Middle East: I’d like to meet Ronaldo because I’m curious to understand what he might want to do when he retires and what his future interest in the Saudi club will be. I’ll continue to evaluate the possibilities of a multiclub deal, considering that I already have Toulouse and AC Milan.”His comments place Ronaldo’s longer-term ambitions among the issues Cardinale wants to understand as he assesses the investment, without establishing that the player would participate in a transaction or take a formal management role.Al Nassr is controlled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, while RedBird’s existing football interests include Milan, Toulouse and a minority investment in Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool’s parent company.A deal would extend RedBird’s club portfolio beyond Europe and give it an ownership interest in one of Saudi football’s most internationally recognisable teams.Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in 2023, becoming a central figure in the Saudi Pro League’s efforts to build its global audience and commercial profile.Cardinale’s interest comes as RedBird advances a major infrastructure project at Milan, where the club and Inter have unveiled plans for their shared Generali Stadium.The proposed venue forms part of RedBird’s strategy to strengthen Milan’s revenue-generating capacity and improve its ability to compete financially with leading European clubs.Discussing that project, Cardinale said: “We have to find a way to bring Serie A back to the level where it belongs. Because a stronger Serie A also means a stronger Milan. The only way to compete with the Premier League is to start transforming your economic profile.“I believe a club like Milan and its supporters deserve infrastructure of this quality. This stadium represents a very strong statement from me and RedBird about how important all of this is to us.”The Al Nassr discussions remain exploratory, with Cardinale’s comments confirming an assessment of the opportunity rather than an agreed acquisition.His stated intention to continue examining multiclub investments leaves Saudi Arabia as a potential next market for RedBird while its existing European clubs pursue their own development plans.