Argentine star Lionel Messi, player of the Paris Saint Germain, will play in Saudi Arabia next season. A local source close to the negotiations told AFP that the contract is “huge”.
“There is a closed deal, he will play in Saudi Arabia,” said the source, who requested anonymity, about the player’s transfer to the wealthy Gulf kingdom.
“The contract is exceptional. It’s huge,” he added, without revealing the name of the club that will have the number 10 shirt for the Argentina national team.
When questioned by the AFP this Tuesday, PSG merely recalled that Messi has a contract until June 30.
“If the club wanted to renew his contract, this would have happened sooner,” said a source at the Parisian club. According to her, the athlete will fulfill the contract as planned and the team should not officially comment on the subject.
Already hired by the Saudi Arabian tourism agency to promote the country on its social networks, Messi may again face Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been playing for Al-Nassr since the beginning of the year, in a national championship.
Several media have reported in recent days an astronomical offer from Al-Hilal (Al-Nassr’s great rival), which would reach 400 million euros (R$ 2.18 billion) per year, to convince Messi to resume the famous rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Negotiations did not take as long as with Ronaldo”, said the Saudi source, who explained that, as in the case of the Portuguese, the money comes from the Saudi Sovereign Fund (PIF).
The Portuguese star’s contract with the Saudi club, valued at 400 million euros until June 2025, made him the highest paid athlete in the world in 2023, according to the magazine’s annual ranking. Forbes.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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