Lionel Messi is actively considering a move to Saudi Arabia which would see him join al hilalcity rivals Cristiano Ronaldo‘s al nassrwhen your paris saint germain the contract expires this summer, a source familiar with the negotiations told ESPN.
Having started talks with Messi and his advisers late last year, senior figures in the bid to bring the 35-year-old to the Middle Eastern nation had initially believed they had no more than an outside chance to persuade. to the first. Barcelona forward to follow Ronaldo to Riyadh.
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However, a source told ESPN there is now an increasing chance that Messi, who is spearheading the Visit Saudi tourism campaign, will move to the Saudi Pro League, with odds as high as “50-50” after of talks with the player’s camp in Saudi Arabia. Arabia last month.
ESPN informed on tuesday that Messi will hardly reach an agreement to extend his contract at PSG, which ends at the end of the season after having signed for two years upon his arrival from Barcelona in 2021.
While Barcelona president Joan Laporta maintains interest in financing a deal to take the Argentina Captain back to the Spotify Camp Nou, the La Liga leaders continue to battle financial woes and a move for Messi seems unlikely to succeed.
And while Inter Miami has been involved in long-term negotiations to sign Messi, the Major League Soccer franchise could not compete with the money on offer in Saudi Arabia.
But while one source said reports of a £350m-a-year package in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal are excessive, there is an appetite in the country to continue boosting the profile of the Saudi Pro League following Ronaldo’s move to Al. -Nassr. in December.
Saudi Arabia is scheduled to host the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in December and the nation is expected to confirm its bid to host the 2030 World Cup before the end of this year.
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Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr has already significantly increased the focus on football in the country, and the source says the chance to sign Messi this summer has become more realistic, with many top clubs in Europe struggling financially.
Al-Hilal, led by former Argentina striker Ramón Díaz, is the reigning Saudi champions and the most successful team in the Asian Champions League having won the competition for a record fourth time when it was last held in 2021.
The club is considered to be the largest and most popular in Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh’s neighbors Al-Nassr being its traditional rivals.