RIYADH: Al-Nassr’s pre-season preparations stepped up a notch on Tuesday with a prestigious friendly match against Paris Saint-Germain that should not only show how far they’ve come in recent months, but also how far we still have to go.

Just being invited to take on the French powerhouse in the Japanese city of Osaka shows that the Riyadh club now enjoys world-class status.

Recent signings by the club, runners-up to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Rohsen League last season, show that they are increasingly competing with such esteemed European opposition when it comes to transfer market affairs.

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the biggest names in the world, arrived in the winter, but the club’s ambitions were confirmed by summer signings, the latest of which was Alex Telles from Manchester United.

The signing of the Brazilian shows that Al-Nassr, and indeed other major Saudi clubs, can now choose players from some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Marcelo Brozovic was last seen captaining Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League Final against Manchester City, just last month.

The Croatian, widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, is now lining up with Yellowhawks who they hope will prove to be an important promotion as the club look to return to the pinnacle of Saudi football as well as go into the AFC Champions League later this year. Few, if any, continental rivals will have a player to match the 30-year-old.

From the European runner-up to the French runner-up, victory then knocked on the door of Lens, who finished second to Paris Saint-Germain last season.

Sekou Fofana knows all about the opposition on Tuesday and the Ivory Coast international is considered one of the best and most consistent players in France’s midfield in recent years.

Now, the 28-year-old brings his energy, physicality and goalscoring potential to Riyadh at a time when he had many options in Europe. This is another player who is, or should be, at the peak of his powers and has a lot to offer.

And so, from the north of France to Old Trafford with Telles.

The Brazil international full-back arrived at Manchester United in 2020 but found himself on loan at Sevilla last season. Now the former Inter Milan and Porto player has become another exciting player for victory and will be training with his new team in Japan over the coming days.

There is never a guarantee of success when it comes to any new player, but the fact that Al-Nassr have signed players from Inter Milan, Lens and Manchester United this summer shows that the quality of imports now heading to Riyadh is at a different level than before.

They are now eating at the top table in the frantic buffet that is the international transfer market. All that remains now is for manager Luis Castro to integrate all this new talent – and there may be more to come before the new season kicks off next month – into a team that can become champions.

In some ways, Castro, who was appointed earlier this month, is the least popular of all the new additions as he will replace Rudy Garcia who was let go before the end of last season. The 61-year-old has plenty of international experience with the likes of Porto, in his native Portugal, as well as with Brazil’s Botafogo and Al Duhail in Qatar. However, this is now the most prominent of his international jobs, and the pressure will only mount.

Against PSG it is about putting on a show but also showing that victory can match the best. In the absence of Kylian Mbappe – who appears to be on his way out and has already been linked with Al-Hilal – and Lionel Messi, who was on Al-Hilal’s list prior to Inter Miami’s selection, has already departed, there is not the same star power at the French club. Coach Luis Enrique Neymar still has Neymar to call his own, but for most fans who head to Nagai Stadium, Ronaldo will be the main attraction.

It’s already unusual to see an Asian team head to another Asian country on a pre-season tour, but that’s where Al-Nassr is now. It remains to be seen whether signings and a new coach can help lift the squad to performances worthy of such international prestige. For victory, it all starts here.