According to a source who is familiar with the discussions, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi will play in Saudi Arabia for the upcoming season as part of a “huge” contract.
“Messi is a done deal. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity and did not name the club, said that he will be playing in Saudi Arabia for the following season.
“This contract is unique in every way. It is really large. “At this point, we are just ironing out a few minor details,” the person continued.
Paris Saint-Germain, Messi’s current club, was asked about the statements, and they simply responded by saying that he is still under contract until June.
According to a different source from PSG, “If the club had wanted to renew his contract, it would have been done earlier.”
The 35-year-old World Cup champion was punished by PSG, which is controlled by Qatar, for making an unauthorized travel to Saudi Arabia, where he serves as a tourist ambassador.
The predicted arrival of Messi in the oil-rich kingdom follows in the footsteps of his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed a big deal to play for the Saudi Pro League team Al Nasrin in January. Messi is expected to follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps.
Forbes reports that Ronaldo will earn more than $439 million over the course of his contract, which runs through June 2025. This puts him in the position of being the best paid athlete in the world.
Messi and Ronaldo will compete in the same league once more if the transfer is finalized, which means they will continue to play head-to-head. Both Barcelona FC and Real Madrid have competed against one another in the La Liga tournament in the past.
