Malta Sport understands that Santa Lucia FC held talks with Portuguese legend Nani as part of the club’s ambitious recruitment drive this summer, before the former Manchester United winger ultimately decided to retire from professional football instead of making the move to Malta.
According to sources received by Malta Sport, Santa Lucia explored the possibility of bringing the former Portugal international to the Challenge League alongside fellow marquee signing Mathieu Valbuena. However, despite positive discussions, Nani opted to bring the curtain down on his illustrious playing career rather than commit to another season.
The Portuguese winger would have represented one of the biggest signings in Maltese football history.
Nani enjoyed a glittering career that saw him win four Premier League titles, two League Cups, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup with Manchester United, where he spent eight seasons under Sir Alex Ferguson.
At international level, he earned 112 caps for Portugal, scoring 24 goals, and played at three UEFA European Championships and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was also part of Portugal’s historic Euro 2016 triumph, captaining his country after Cristiano Ronaldo was forced off through injury in the final.
His club career also included spells with Sporting CP, Fenerbahçe, Valencia, Lazio, Orlando City, Venezia, Melbourne Victory, Adana Demirspor, Estrela da Amadora and, most recently, Aktobe in Kazakhstan after coming out of retirement earlier this year.
Although the move did not materialise, Santa Lucia still secured one of European football’s most recognisable names by signing former France international Mathieu Valbuena, underlining the ambition of the club’s new project.
Had Nani accepted the proposal, Maltese supporters could have witnessed two former international stars—Valbuena and Nani—lining up together in the Challenge League, in what would have been one of the most remarkable transfer stories in the country’s football history.
