Anderson Talisca’s performances for Al-Nassr this season should warrant him a place in the Brazilian national team and here’s why.
Despite a long summer transfer window filled with rumours and speculation over a potential exit, Talisca remained in the Middle East at the request of head coach Luis Castro.
The Portuguese manager insisted on having Talisca as part of his starting lineup this campaign and the latter did not disappoint.
With 17 goals in all competitions, the 29-year-old is currently Al-Nassr’s leading goalscorer having netted one more than Cristiano Ronaldo.
He has also managed to form a cohesive attacking partnership with Ronaldo as well as summer signings Sadio Mane and Otavio.
However, his impressive numbers were not enough to get a call-up to Fernando Diniz’s Brazil squad for the November international break.
The last time he played for Brazil came in March of 2018 when he remained on the bench in their 3-0 win against Russia in a friendly match.
Saudi Pro League the culprit?
Many fans have voiced their opinions that Talisca does not play international football anymore because of his presence in the Middle Eastern league.
But that is certainly not the case with his Al-Nassr teammates, who all maintained their spot for their respective countries.
Mane, Otavio, Ronaldo, and Marcelo Brozovic have all been away on international duty during November while Aymeric Laporte missed out on Spain’s squad due to injury.