Staff Reporter.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi will play in Saudi Arabia next season under a “huge” deal, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP on Tuesday.
“Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Messi expected to sign a massive contract worth £522million at Saudi side Al-Hilal.
Asked about the comments, Messi’s current club Paris Saint-Germain simply noted that he remains under contract until June 30.
A separate PSG source said: “If the club had wanted to renew his contract, it would have been done earlier.”
The 35-year-old World Cup winner was suspended by Qatari-owned PSG last week for an unauthorised trip to Saudi, where he is a tourism ambassador.
Messi’s expected arrival in the oil-rich kingdom follows in the footsteps of his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr in a massive deal in January.
Ronaldo’s agreement to June 2025 is said to total more than 400 million euros ($439million), making him the world’s highest paid athlete according to Forbes.