The competition in the Saudi league is fierce. Despite Cristiano Ronaldo's full efforts this season, scoring 16 goals and providing 3 assists in 19 appearances for Al Nassr, averaging one goal per game, Al Nassr only ranks fourth in the Saudi league, 11 points behind the top team, Al Ittihad Jeddah. The competition in the Saudi league is brutal, and big-name players who perform poorly are quickly sold by their teams. In 13 games, there were 0 goals and 0 assists! Al Nassr returns the player: discarding the core midfielder from Ligue 1, Ronaldo hits the nail on the head.
The winter transfer window of 2025 has opened, and Al Nassr has made adjustments to its squad, with some players confirmed to be leaving. Officially, Rennes has signed Ivorian midfielder Fofana from Al Nassr, signing a contract for four and a half years. It is reported that Fofana's transfer fee is 20 million euros. In the summer of 2023, Al Nassr signed Fofana from Lens for a transfer fee of 25 million euros, and now Fofana has returned to Ligue 1.
Judging from Fofana's team changes, Ronaldo's comments on the Saudi league and Ligue 1 are very accurate. When Fofana was playing for Lens, he was the team's main player and captain. In the 21-22 season, Fofana played 38 times in Ligue 1 for Lens, contributing 8 goals and 1 assist. In the 22-23 season, Fofana played 35 times in Ligue 1, scoring 7 goals and providing 5 assists. Lens ranked second in Ligue 1 that season, only one point less than the Paris Saint-Germain led by Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar, successfully advancing to the Champions League.
Fofana has been selected for the Ligue 1 Team of the Season and has been named the Best African Player in Ligue 1. Last year, in the Africa Cup of Nations, Fofana helped the Ivory Coast team win the championship. It can be said that before joining Al Nassr, Fofana was a phenomenal player in Ligue 1, an all-round midfielder. However, after joining Al Nassr, he lost his way, had no place in the team, and performed poorly on loan at Damac.
Damac, coached by Gerrard, is currently ranked 11th in the Saudi Professional League, only six points above the relegation zone, making them a relegation-threatened team. This season, Fofana has played 13 times in the Saudi Professional League, starting 11 times, but has neither scored nor assisted. Obviously, Fofana is a key player for a Ligue 1 title contender, but he couldn't even figure out how to play for a relegation-threatened team in the Saudi league.
Ronaldo, the top player in the Saudi league and Fofana's former teammate, previously stated that the Saudi league is better than Ligue 1, as Ligue 1 only has Paris, and the other teams are not good enough. Ronaldo said that the Saudi league requires sprinting in temperatures of 38, 39, or 40 degrees Celsius. Don't listen to what they say; you can go there and try it for yourself. Ronaldo spoke with a sneer, believing that Ligue 1 is not as good as the Saudi league. Now that Fofana has been sold by the Saudi league to Ligue 1, it also confirms Ronaldo's point of view.