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According to reports, Saudi Arabia are planning to offer Lionel Messi £193 million per year to join one of its club sides, Al-Hilal.
Cristiano Ronaldo decided to sign a lucrative contract with Al-Nassr earlier this year, shortly after leaving Manchester United.
Ronaldo Brings Big Attention to Saudi League
Since then, the Saudi Pro League has benefited from increased attention, Ronaldo’s team presently behind Al-Ittihad by one point in the league.
Nonetheless, it has been well-documented for a number of months that the country hopes to lure further worldwide stars in the future.
Now the league are setting their sights on the other footballing superstar on planet earth, Leo Messi.
Messi, for obvious reasons, is placed in the same category as Ronaldo, and his prestige was further elevated by his contributions to Argentina’s World Cup victory in Qatar at the end of last year.
According to Marca, Saudi Arabia is prepared to negotiate a deal for Messi to spend the remainder of his career with Al-Hilal.
According to the report, the nation’s administration is willing to alter pay its football limits in order to accommodate the entrance of the Argentinean forward.
With his contract with Paris Saint-Germain set to expire in the summer, Messi’s next phase of his career is now uncertain.
The French giants would prefer to keep the services of the 35-year-old, who has scored 17 goals and provided 17 assists in 29 Ligue 1 and Champions League appearances this season.
It is also unlikely that the Qatari owned club will want to have their superstar player depart to a side in Saudi Arabia, however their current financial situation may leave them with little choice.
It has been speculated that Messi and Sergio Ramos could leave Parc des Princes at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season due to PSG’s need to drastically improve their FFP position.
The club have also been reported to be aiming at developing a new strategy to develop young players within the club’s ranks rather than recruit high-earning players for massive sums.
That would be a major change for the side who have prioritized Champions League victory in recent years, albeit failing to achieve that.
Messi Offered Same Terms as Ronaldo to Finish Career in Saudi
Inter Miami are also rumored to be in the running to recruit Messi, since the attacker is a fan of the city and has spent time there on vacation.
If Messi is willing to transfer to the Middle East, he is rumored to be offered the same incentives as his longtime adversary Ronaldo.
Al-Hilal, who recently competed against Real Madrid in the Club World Cup final, are presently in fourth place in the table, 11 points behind the leaders but with two games in hand.
If the club were to gain Messi’s services, it would be a massive boost for them in terms of increasing their ability on the field as well as off the field.
Since joining Al-Nassr, Ronaldo’s goals for the side have been a main feature in sports news reports, giving the club and the Saudi Pro League increased coverage.
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