Messi ‘Agrees’ Deal To Join Saudi Arabian Al-Hilal

Lionel Messi is all set to leave Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the summer and join Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, a report has confirmed.

Messi had recently made a trip to the Middle Eastern country for which he was handed a suspension by the Ligue 1 club. The purpose of Messi’s visit wasn’t’ initially confirmed but it seems like it had something to do with the Argentina legend finalising details of his future during the visit.

Messi’s current contract with the French giants will expire at the end of next month.

“Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season,” AFP quoted a source as saying.

“The contract is exceptional. It’s huge. We are just finalising some small details,” the source added.

Asked about its reaction, Messi’s current club Paris Saint-Germain simply noted that he remains under contract until June 30.

A separate PSG source said: “If the club had wanted to renew his contract, it would have been done earlier.”

The 35-year-old World Cup winner was suspended by Qatari-owned PSG last week for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, where he is a tourism ambassador.

Messi’s expected arrival in the oil-rich Kingdom follows in the footsteps of his arch-rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Pro League club, Al Nassr, in a massive deal in January.

However, Ronaldo’s continuity at Al-Nassr is also surrounded by clouds of uncertainty. It has been reported in the recent weeks that the Portuguese is keen on a return to Europe.

Ronaldo’s agreement to June 2025 is said to total more than 400 million euros ($439million), making him the world’s highest paid athlete according to Forbes.