Messi's new destination revealed?

BINH DUONG

The French news agency AFP recently reported that Lionel Messi has agreed to move to the Middle East to play for Al-Hilal in a deal worth up to £522 million.

Last year, Messi signed a £25 million contract to be a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia for one year. Photo: AFP

Previously, Messi refused to renew his contract with PSG in Ligue 1 and wanted to leave as a free agent this summer after two years with the French club. There have been rumors that Messi would return to his former club Barcelona or move to Inter Miami in the American Major League Soccer (MLS). However, financial difficulties have made a Messi-Barcelona reunion unlikely, while the prospect of joining Inter Miami has also been ruled out. Saudi Arabia has become the most promising destination for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

On May 9th, AFP, citing informed sources, confirmed that Messi will play in the Saudi Arabian Premier League (SPL) next season. The source stated that "the deal is complete," thus allowing Messi to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo and become the highest-paid player on the planet. Al Hilal is a major rival of Al Nassr, the club Ronaldo currently plays for. Meanwhile, L'Equipe reported that Al Hilal's offer to Messi is for a two-year term with an option to extend for another 12 months. Messi will be 38 years old when the contract expires.

However, Jorge Messi, Messi's father and agent, dismissed the reports as fake news. He stated that Messi would wait until the end of the season before making a decision about his future. It is understood that Messi's wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, cannot imagine moving to the Middle East with her husband and three sons, so this could be a major obstacle to the deal. Antonela wants her family to remain in Europe.

Dutch legend Marco van Basten is unimpressed with Messi's decision to turn his back on European football and urged the Argentinian star to do "what he wants" instead of chasing money. Saudi Arabia is working hard to attract the world's biggest football stars to the SPL with "mega" contracts, similar to how they brought Ronaldo to the Middle East late last year.

Rumors about Messi's move to Saudi Arabia began to surface more frequently after the player was given an internal suspension by PSG. PSG players usually have Mondays off, but after the defeat to Lorient on April 30th, coach Christophe Galtier instructed his players to train extra. On that day, Messi was in Saudi Arabia as scheduled to fulfill his role as a tourism ambassador. The PSG management deemed Messi to have violated club discipline and handed him a two-week suspension.

However, Messi has returned to training with PSG after his suspension was lifted following his public apology for his unauthorized flight to Saudi Arabia. M10 is expected to play in the match against Ajaccio in the 35th round of Ligue 1.

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