Argentine superstar and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) player Lionel Messi reportedly received a staggering offer worth €400 million from a Saudi Arabian club, Al-Hilal.
The news comes amid persistent rumours that World Cup winner Messi will leave PSG this summer rather than agree to a new contract.
If the legendary player accepts what is being termed as “mother of all deals” it would give a new boost to Saudi Arabia with having two soccer greats playing in their professional league tournaments as Cristiano Ronaldo is part of the Al Nassr club after completing $75 million per-year move last year.
The bumper offer from the Riyadh club includes all the advantages set for the player, and meets the demands of the best FIFA men’s player of the year 2022 and captain of Argentina, the 2022 Qatar World Cup Champions, Okaz/Saudi Gazette cited sources as having said.
Meanwhile, Jorge Horacio Messi, father and business agent of Messi, has been spotted in Riyadh in recent days, sparking speculation that he could be negotiating a deal for his son.
In his capacity as tourism ambassador of Saudi Arabia, Messi traveled to the Kingdom on several occasions for promotional activities.
If Messi departs, PSG would likely be doubly determined to keep hold of Kylian Mbappe for at least one more season, a year after persuading the France striker to sign a new deal and turn down overtures from Real Madrid.
As well as the uncertainty over Messi’s future, there are doubts about coach Christophe Galtier, who was only appointed last July but has come under intense pressure following recent results.