Jorge, Lionel Messi’s father, is rumoured to be in Riyadh meeting with Al-Hilal to discuss the potential of his son signing a whopping £245 million contract to play for the Saudi side.
In his first game since winning the World Cup last month, Messi scored a goal for PSG on Wednesday, but his future at the club is still up in the air.
The captain of Argentina’s contract is set to end in June, and although he is rumoured to have promised PSG that he would sign a contract extension, it has now come to light that Al-Hilal are eager to transfer him to Saudi Arabia.
They would be willing to pay him $300m-a-year (£245m) to get a deal over the line, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Nasser Al-Attiyah, a relative of the Emir of Qatar, has further fuelled speculation that he will move to the Middle East after reportedly stating: “Messi, his next club after his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, will be Saudi Arabia.”
Al-Hilal are currently banned from adding players until the next transfer window, but they want Messi to sign now ahead of a potential move in the summer.
Messi’s father has arrived in the Saudi capital to discuss the proposed move, as reported by The New Arab,which would see Messi renew his on-pitch rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo joined fellow Saudi side Al-Nassr last month and will receive £175m per year during his time with the club.
Should Messi accept Al-Hilal’s proposal, he will earn significantly more than Ronaldo and also get the chance to play against his great nemesis once more.
Between 2009 and 2018, Messi and Ronaldo faced off for Barcelona and Real Madrid, where they established themselves as the world’s top two players, and they engaged in a legendary rivalry.
Although it seemed like their battle was over when Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr, Messi might possibly follow him to Saudi.
“Titan clash” between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are compared to El Clasico in Saudi Arabia, and having Messi and Ronaldo on opposing sides will further intensify the atmosphere.
The legendary players could also play against one another when PSG travel to Riyadh to take on an All-Star XI featuring players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal on January 19.
