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Reports in Spain claim Lionel Messi is wanted by ANOTHER Saudi club with Jedah outfit Al-Ittihad set to offer the Argentinian a £306M-A-YEAR deal while Al-Hilal is set to match him, in a move that would revive the rivalry with Cristiano. ronaldo
- Cristiano Ronaldo recently joined Saudi club Al Nassr for £175 million per year
- Lionel Messi is now being offered more than ‘£300m’ a year to join the league
- Al-Itthad is believed to have teamed up with Al-Hilal to pursue the Argentine star
- The 35-year-old will end his contract at Paris Saint-Germain in June
Lionel Messi reportedly has another suitor from Saudi Arabia, and Al-Ittihad is said to have joined Al-Hilal in the race for the World Cup winner.
Rumors spread earlier this week that Al-Hilal was willing to shell out £245m for the Argentinian star, but Al-Ittihad is now also believed to have shown interest in the Paris Saint-Germain star, with the league looking to increase his star after the move of Cristiano Ronaldo to Al Nassr.
According to reports in brand, Both clubs are willing to pay Messi a whopping ‘£306m’ per season, dwarfing the £175m earned by his old rival, Ronaldo.
Lionel Messi is reportedly being courted by two Saudi clubs after his World Cup victory.
It comes after Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in a deal worth £175m a year.
They also report that both interested clubs are currently sanctioned by FIFA for ‘irregularities’ and would not be able to sign Messi until the summer.
Marca also names players like Luka Modric, Ángel Di María and Sergio Ramos as targets for the Saudi league.
In theory, Messi would be available in June as he will not have a contract with PSG, but the 35-year-old is believed to have assured the club that he will sign a contract extension.
Lionel Messi played for PSG this Wednesday for the first time since they won the World Cup.
He scored in an excellent performance for the French team earlier this week to mark his first game since lifting the World Cup in December.
If the Argentine legend were to join Al-Hilal, it could spark the return of one of football’s great rivalries.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr seemed to have signaled the end of his battle with Messi, but that could be about to change.
A move to Saudi Arabia would allow the iconic Messi-Ronaldo rivalry to resume on the pitch
Matchups between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are considered the Saudi equivalent of El Clásico, and seeing Messi and Ronaldo on opposite sides would only add an extra touch to the occasion.
The paid legends could also square off when PSG travel to Riyadh to take on an All-Star XI featuring players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal on January 19.
This could act as a dress rehearsal for future meetings between the iconic pair if Messi decides to end his time in Europe and accept Al-Hilal’s lucrative offer.