Romelu Lukaku Opens Door to Joining Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia with Latest Comments

• Romelu Lukaku strongly hinted at playing in the Middle East
• The striker was on target for Roma during a friendly on Wednesday
• Lukaku was signed by Chelsea for €113 million but has been on loan for two the last two seasons

Romelu Lukaku could be the latest big name to join the Saudi Pro League if his latest comments are anything to go by.

The Saudi Pro League has been on the spot in recent weeks for all the wrong reasons after reports emerged that the former Europe superstars who moved to the Middle East were becoming disillusioned with the league.

Former Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson’s sudden exit from Saudi club Al-Ettifaq to Ajax only fuelled speculation that the league was not as appealing as it initially looked during the mass exodus of players from Europe in August 2023.

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One person who is keeping the faith in the league is Lukaku, who played and scored in a friendly against Saudi side Al-Shabab on Wednesday, January 24. Roma won that match 3-1.

Speaking after the game, the Belgian, who rejected the chance to move to Saudi Arabia last summer and instead joined Roma, said, per Fabrizio Romano:

“In the next two years I see this league becoming one of the best in the world, if not the best. The clubs make a lot of efforts to bring the big players here. As a result, the teams and the footballing qualities are improving significantly,”

Asked whether fans can look forward to seeing him in Saudi Arabia again, Lukaku responded with “Absolutely”.

It is quite easy to view Lukaku’s comments as a strategic ploy from a player whose club has a mega-money agreement with Riyadh Season worth a reported €8m per year.

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Lukaku’s stats this season

At Roma, Lukaku has been in fairly decent form, and this can largely be attributed to the faith Jose Mourinho showed in him initially.

According to Transfermarkt, the 30-year-old has scored 15 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions this season, and this includes nine strikes in the Serie A.

He will be hoping to add to that tally when Roma takes on Salernitana in their next Serie A game on January 29.

Henderson leads list of players who made wrong career moves

Sports Brief also reported on some players who made career moves that ultimately proved to be the wrong choice.

Jordan Henderson headlines this list, as his gamble to move to the Middle East did not pay off.

The former Liverpool man reportedly struggled to adapt to life in Saudi Arabia, prompting a move back to Europe.