Saudi League side Al-Hilal are preparing offers for three of Lionel Messi’s former teammates as they look to put together a package to bring the Argentine to the middle east, having agreed to make Messi the highest paid player of all time next season.
Returning to training today with current side Paris Saint Germain, Messi’s time in the French capital is rapidly reaching its end, and the Argentine will be a free agent once more at the end of the season.
Barcelona are thought to be keen to bring him back to Camp Nou, but are unable to make it work financially, and reports today suggest that Messi has accepted ‘a megadeal worth £260million-a-year’ to follow Cristiano Ronaldo to the Middle-East for the start of next season.
Lionel Messi of PSG during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match Paris Saint Germain v Angers SCO at Parc des Princes on January 11, 2023 in Paris, France. Photo by Christian Liewig/ABACAPRESS.COM 2M83A5F Lionel Messi of PSG during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match Paris Saint Germain v Angers SCO at Parc des Princes on January 11, 2023 in Paris, France. Photo by Christian Liewig/ABACAPRESS.COM (Alamy Stock Photo)
It will make him the highest-paid player in football history, overtaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr deal, which is thought to be worth £177m per year.
Further concessions will be made to lure Messi to the middle east too. According to reports, Al-Hilal are ready to offer contracts to two of his ex-teammates and one current one, with all of Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Marco Verratti set to be offered the chance to join Messi in Saudi Arabia.
Such a move will prove a logistical nightmare, with only 7 non-Saudi players allowed in any one squad, though there is a chance that is increased to eight in the months to come.