Van Basten hinted that Messi is greedy for money if he goes to Saudi Arabia

According to legend Marco van Basten, Lionel Messi should play at the top level in Europe, instead of joining Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal to enjoy huge benefits.

"If Messi still has to go to Saudi Arabia just because of a lot of money, it would be a bad deal," Van Basten told Dutch sports channel Ziggo Sport about the possibility of Messi going to Al Hilal. "I can't imagine that. Messi earns a lot of money, do what he likes. He's his own boss, right? Messi can play football wherever he wants, right?"

Van Basten - the legendary 3-time Ballon d'Or winner - is a regular guest on Dutch sports commentary show Ziggo Sports. Photo: screenshot.

Van Basten and many other fans have also expressed their anger at the possibility of Messi following Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia on social media. "Not a good way to end such an illustrious career in the desert," one account commented. "Money, money, money. You can retire as a hero, or prolong your career to play for money without shame," another wrote.

On May 9, French news agency AFP reported that Messi will leave PSG as a free agent this summer and "complete" his move to Al Hilal. A day earlier, Spanish channel El Chiringuito TV reported that Messi had accepted an offer with a $400 million annual salary from Al Hilal - the reigning champion and most successful player in the Saudi League with 18 titles.

If the deal goes through, Messi will become the highest-paid player in the world , nearly double the $220 million a year Ronaldo earns at Al Nassr. Messi's annual salary will also be nearly as high as the value of some powerful European clubs such as Ajax - a team that Forbes valued at $413 million in 2022. He will earn 10 times the salary he currently receives at PSG, and may not have to pay taxes in Saudi Arabia.

According to British newspaper Sportmail , the deal - although not yet official - has been controversial due to allegations of human rights and gay rights in Saudi Arabia, the country's involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, frequent executions in the country and attempts to use sport to cover up bad publicity.

Messi disappointed after a loss with PSG this season. Photo: Reuters — Messi disappointed after a loss with PSG this season. Photo: *Reuters*

However, after AFP published the information, Lionel Messi's father and agent, Jorge Messi, denied that his son had reached an agreement to join Al Hilal as a free agent. Jorge stressed that Messi's future would only be decided after the 2022-2023 season ended, and was angry with the media for publishing fabricated information.

Meanwhile, PSG did not comment on AFP 's information, but only reiterated that Messi's contract lasts until June 2023.

Earlier, British newspaper Sportmail reported that Messi's wife, Antonella Roccuzzo, "could not imagine" the whole family moving to Saudi Arabia. Roccuzzo is said to want to stay in Europe with her husband and three sons, Thiago, 10, Mateo, 7, and Ciro, 5, rather than move to the Middle East.

Similarly, Spanish newspaper Marca said Messi's priority is still to continue playing football in Europe. His contract has nearly two months left, with a one-year activation clause. Barca is a potential destination, but the Camp Nou owner's plan to restructure its finances and sign Lionel Messi in the summer of 2023 was rejected by La Liga. Therefore, Barca must liquidate the squad and reduce the salary fund if they want to reunite with the Argentine star this summer.

Hong Duy

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