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Lionel Messi (Image credit: Twitter)
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Lionel Messi (Image credit: Twitter)In a bid to land another world-class player in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh-based club Al Hilal SFC has reportedly offered Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi a €400 million-a-year deal. Messi is in the final months of his contract with PSG and is likely to leave the club at the end of the season. If the Argentina skipper accepts the huge sum, giving up his preference to play in Europe, the football world will witness two legends of the game - Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi - playing in the Middle East.
According to leading Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano, Messi has been offered an annual salary in excess of €400 million by Al Hilal, but the PSG forward's priority is to stay in the European leagues. Romano also said Messi's former club Barcelona are also interested in bringing him back and the club are waiting for FFP clearance before sending their bid.
🚨 Understand Al Hilal sent an official bid to Leo Messi: salary worth more than €400m/year.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 4, 2023
◉ Leo’s absolute priority: continue in Europe.
◉ Barcelona, waiting on FFP to send bid and open talks.
◉ PSG bid, not accepted at this stage as Messi wanted sporting guarantees. pic.twitter.com/FVTDGs4eQV
If Al Hilal manages to rope in the 2022 World Cup winner, the Saudi league's standards will go much higher as he will join his great rival Ronaldo, who currently plays for Al Nassr. Both have played in La Liga with Messi at Barcelona and the Portugal captain at Real Madrid.
Messi left the Spanish club in 2021 after they were unable to renew his contract. He then joined PSG and became their key player, scoring 29 goals and 32 assists in 67 games. The 35-year-old joined the French club on a two-year deal which expires at the end of this season.
Messi was booed by PSG fans
Lionel Messi was jeered by a group of supporters ahead of his team's 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat against Lyon. The Golden Ball winner of Qatar WC was subjected to booing from some PSG fans when his name was announced in the line-up ahead of their clash on April 2.
It was the second time Messi had faced a similar incident, the previous was on March 19 in a 2-0 loss to Rennes. After his side’s defeat to Lyon, coach Christophe Galtier expressed his disappointment with the way Messi was treated by the fans.
“Whistles against Leo Messi are very harsh. Leo is a player who gives a lot. He also gave a lot in the first part of the season. But it is also up to other players to have more functions,” he said.
This is how fans reacted after Al Hilal offered Messi €400m:
€400m?! Madness.
— Rhys (@RhysJonesJourno) April 4, 2023
Al Hilal is finished 😂😂
— Honest News Takes (@deezmalders) April 4, 2023
Why would he join a finished league?
— FPL⚡️KSI (@FPLKSI) April 4, 2023
Nah if Messi goes there, the Saudi league is blowing up. RONALDO VS MESSI
— Trey (@UTDTrey) April 4, 2023
€400m a year wtf 😭😭😭😭
— Mod (@CFCMod_) April 4, 2023
$400M a year, not sure he can reject it, that's free money for a finished "old man"
— SABONZY (@sabonzy) April 4, 2023
In just 2-3 years, he can be a billionaire 💀
— Mehhhssi 🐐 (@Mehhhssi) April 4, 2023
Football going mad. $400m/year? Crazy
— Moses Ismail, PhD (@moz_ismail) April 4, 2023
He gets paid more than penaldo😂😂😂😂
— KM▪️🎌 (@SiempreMessiKM) April 4, 2023
400m a year… no way he turns that down
— 𝓛𝓮𝓮🍊 (@IeeReformed) April 4, 2023