The Top 3 Stars Set to Join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia in the Summer

• The Saudi government is planning to upgrade the quality of its league
• Ronaldo's arrival has birthed an insatiable desire from the upper echelons of the oil-rich nation to use football as a means to enhance their international image
• Saudi clubs Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal have been heavily linked with a potential move for Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi in the summer

The Saudi government have set their sights on expanding the list of top stars in their top flight following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The oil-rich kingdom managed to woo the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to the Saudi Pro League in January and are bent on upgrading the quality of the league with the acquisition of other superstars of Ronaldo's ilk.

According to former Real Madrid striker Predrag Mijatovic, the Saudi government wants to use football as a tool to strengthen its global appeal.

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Hence the likes of Lionel Messi, who is bound to leave PSG this summer, Real Madrid's Karim Benzema and Brazilian superstar Neymar Jr. have been pencilled down as targets to enhance the quality of the league.

“I know the Saudi government has four players in mind, who are four stars: Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar and Benzema," Mijatovic, who scored the winning goal in Real Madrid's 1–0 victory over Juventus in the 1998 Champions League final told Cadena SER as quoted by Daily Post.

Ronaldo's presence in the Gulf state has generated unparalleled interest in the Saudi Pro League, and despite ending the season trophyless, his first season with Al-Nassr has been deemed a success from the commercial perspective, Al Jazeera reports.

Thus, informing the aggressive approach by the Saudi government to attract Messi and co. to the league.

He added: “It is their strategy to promote football as ambassadors.”

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Ronaldo welcomes stars to Saudi

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Cristiano Ronaldo welcomed the idea of top football stars of his ilk joining the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo made the bold move of swapping Europe for the Middle East after penning a lucrative deal with Al-Nassr in January, on the back of his acrimonious exit from Manchester United.

Speaking on the prospect of seeing big players switch to the Gulf state, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner - who has predicted the Saudi League to be among the best in the world in the coming years - suggested their presence in the competition will help in improving its quality.