Football legend and arguably the sport’s greatest of all time player, Lionel Messi, could play in a different landscape if he parts ways with Paris Saint-Germain. According to various reports, Messi has been offered a lucrative amount to play in Saudi Arabia and continues his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo who currently plays in Saudi’s Al-Nassr.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Saudi’s Al-Hilal is offering Lionel Messi a €400m per year contract to play in their league
Italian Journalist Fabrizio Romano shook the internet world by leaking information that a Saudi Arabian club called Al-Hilal is giving a bid to sign Lionel Messi. In Romano’s tweet, Messi could potentially receive a salary worth 400 Million Euros per year, making him the highest-paid football athlete in history.
🚨 Understand Al Hilal sent an official bid to Leo Messi: salary worth more than €400m/year.
◉ Leo’s absolute priority: continue in Europe.
◉ Barcelona, waiting on FFP to send bid and open talks.
◉ PSG bid, not accepted at this stage as Messi wanted sporting guarantees. pic.twitter.com/FVTDGs4eQV
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 4, 2023
Also Read: How to win a Free Lionel Messi signed jersey on Instagram?
However, Lionel Messi’s camp has not confirmed if they have agreed to the deal. Currently, Messi is playing for Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and will be ending his 2-year contract with PSG this summer. Reports suggest that he is nearing his decision to leave PSG and will venture to another team, one of which is his former club, Barcelona. They are strong on the lookout to sign Messi again, matching the other offers including Al-Hilal’s staggering €400m, but Barcelona F.C. still needs UEFA’s Financial Fair Play committee’s approval.
Also Read: Lionel Messi News: When will he retire? Argentina National Team Update
From Europe to the Middle East: Lionel Messi has been keen to keep playing in Europe, but the €400m and his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo could change that
Lionel Messi wants to keep his career in Europe but that is likely to change with the hefty amount Al-Hilal is offering La Pulga. With this huge paycheck, Messi will become the highest-paid athlete, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract with Saudi’s Al-Nassr, the city rivals of Al-Hilal.
Messi signing with Al-Hilal also means he can continue his rivalry with CR7 in Saudi Arabia which could be a great opportunity for both Messi and the country. Since Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr, football in Saudi has become more popular.
Also Read: How to win a Free Lionel Messi signed jersey on Instagram?
Why we think Lionel Messi is “Likely” to Play in Saudi Arabia
For starters, and as repeatedly mentioned, the pay is so ludicrous that rejecting it is kind of a missed opportunity for the 35-year-old football star. In addition, Jorge Horacio Messi, Lionel Messi’s father and business agent, was spotted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which sparked rumors that Messi’s team is negotiating with Al-Hilal. Plus, Al-Hilal’s head coach is a former Argentina forward, Ramon Diaz, which means Messi could be playing for a fellow Argentine. With all the supporting ideas and rumors surrounding Messi and Al-Hilal, there is a great chance that La Pulga will be putting his talents in the Middle East. Also, it wouldn’t be new for European football legends to play in this league since Cristiano Ronaldo has already signed with Al-Nassr right after losing in the 2022 World Cup. Even though CR7 debunked the rumor at the time, he still went on with the deal later on.
Will we see Lionel Messi take his talents to Saudi Arabia? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us, here at Spiel Times.
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