'Deal done': Messi ready to move to Saudi Arabia
Argentinian player Lionel Messi will play in Saudi Arabia next year under a ban agreement, a source close to the kingdom'snegotiations told AFP on Tuesday.
The deal will mean Messi could join rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi tournament as the Gulf state pushes its oil wealth into the game. There has beenno confirmation from Messi'scurrent club Paris Saint-Germain, who only said he was under contract until June 30 when contacted by AFP.
The source said Messi will sign a "huge" deal with an undisclosedSaudi club months after the 35-year-old lifted the World Cup in neighboring Qatar in December. "Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next year," said the source, who was not authorized to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. "The deal is special. It's huge. We are finalizing a few details," the source added.
Separate PSG sources claim that the French club in Qatar have not yet offered Messi a new contract. "If the club wanted to renew his contract, it would have been done quickly," the source said.
Despite many reports linking Messi to Al Hilal, one of the Saudi football teams, the headquarters told AFP thatthey are not directly with PSG. Lionel Messi's father and Jorge's agent insisted onTuesday that his son has not yetdecided where he will play next year.
"Nothing has been agreed with any club for next year," Messi'sfather wrote on Instagram. "Thedecision will not be made untilLionel completes his campaign at PSG."
Just five years after allowing thefirst non-Muslim tourists to visit and allowing women to drive, Saudi Arabia is trying to open up its conservative society and transform its economy. based on oil.
The world's largest oil exporter has spent hundreds of millions on sports deals including the signing of Ronaldo, Formula 1 in Jeddah and the LIV Golf tour that has been divisive, oftendrawing attention to the "sports washing" of human rights records. Messi was suspended by Qatari ownerPSG last week for an unauthorized mid-season trip to Arabia, where he is a tourist agent.
He has also been heavily linked with a return to his former club, Barcelona. A spokesman for Spain's La Liga leaders said: "We don't know anything about it", when asked about a possibleSaudi deal.
"It's not a specific game."
Messi's long-time trainingpartner Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr in a bigdeal in January. Ronaldo's contract until June 2025 willtotal more than 400 million euros ($439 million), making him the highest-paid player in the world according to Forbes.
The two deals - along with others including LIV Golf and the purchase of Newcastle United's 2021 football stadium - were signed by the Investment Fund (PIF), one of the world's largest investment funds, the source said. In any transfer involving such enormous financial stakes, last-minute changes are not uncommon.
However, the Saudi source saysthe negotiations with Messi went smoothly. "Thenegotiations did not take as long as those with Ronaldo. As we now know the process of signing for international players," said the source. "It was brought by Saudi Arabia,not one club. The money camefrom one place - PIF."
Ronaldo, 38, is not a guarantee of success for Al Nassr, who came from the top of the Saudi Pro League and missed out on silverware in the Saudi Cup. ButMessi also wants to raise the profile of Saudi Arabia as it tries to attract tourists and investment, the source said.
"He is a player at the end of his career and not just for football. He came here to ensure theinternational interest of the kingdom," said a follower of Messi's conversation.
"The plan is not just Messi and Ronaldo, the plan is to bring great players like those two players and young players who are coming and have a good future."
"We want people to go to Saudi Arabia to watch football stars,"the source added.
WORLD CUP COMPETITION
Messi had two bad seasons in Paris after a glorious season at Barcelona where he won four Champions League titles and 10 La Liga titles, but his fans still adore him.
The seven-time Ballon d'Orwinner, alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, scored just 11 goals in his first season as he helped PSG win the Ligue 1 title. But PSG has no closer to a coveted victory of the MaidenChampions League, rushingtwice in the last 16 with the illustrious Argentinian in their alignment.
Saudi Arabia has had interviewswith Egypt and Greece about a joint supply of the World Cup,according to officials. In thecoming years, it will host the Asian Men's Football Championship, the Asian Games and even the Asian Winter Games in artificial snow.
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