Lionel Messi to Saudi Pro League?
Al Hilal, one of the biggest clubs in the Middle East, reportedly want to bring Lionel Messi to the Saudi Pro League to challenge Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Could Lionel Messi, a player who enjoyed a historic battle with Cristiano Ronaldo in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League for several years, join his rival in Saudi Arabia?
According to recent rumors, the PSG superstar is subject to interest from Al Hilal, who, alongside Al Nassr, are one of the biggest clubs in the region. Additionally, the Argentine ace appears to have stalled on signing a new deal with his Ligue 1 employers, with his current contract running out this summer.
In fact, some sources have even gone as far as naming the price needed to bring Leo to the Gulf nation. El Chiringuito recently reported that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is demanding over $600M to move to Riyadh while Marca tell a different story, claiming that the Saudi Pro League side are ready to offer $236M to sign the FIFA World Cup winner.
But are these stories true? La Pulga’s father, who is also his agent, addressed these rumors on social media recently and has unequivocally denied the claims, labeling them as “fake news”.
And that wasn’t the only story Jorge Messi looked to dispel. There were allegations that the Argentine attacker left a PSG training session after falling out with Galtier while other sources claimed that the French giants aren’t willing to accept Leo’s terms for a new deal. Jorge, however, states that these are all false.
Despite this, two things need to be pointed out. Messi’s father simply denied that his son is demanding over $600M per year to join Al Hilal but did not deny interest in a move to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Jorge made no mention of the Barcelona links with his “fake news” post, which might give Culers hope over a potential return to Camp Nou.
While the iconic attacker’s future remains under heavy doubt, one thing is certain: the Blaugrana icon isn’t short on suitors. The player is wanted in the MLS, with Inter Miami being the favorites, while Al Hilal and Barcelona appear keen on acquiring his services. PSG, meanwhile, want to extend his deal and are working to get this done.
