According to football pundit Khalid Al-Shenaif, Sergio Busquets, Angel Di Maria, and Lionel Messi will all be signed by Al-Hilal in the summer for the Saudi Pro League. Messi and Di Maria are now nearing the end of their deals with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, respectively. At the completion of the current campaign, Busquets too has announced he will depart from Barcelona.
Lionel Messi regarded as the best player to ever play the game of football, went from having his season recognised with the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award to having his season stopped by PSG for an unplanned trip to Saudi Arabia. And the commotion around the 35-year-old is going to become worse since Messi is poised to make a permanent move to the Middle East.
Lionel Messi to resume Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry in Saudi
Lionel Messi is now negotiating a spectacular multi-million deal with Al-Hilal after it was reported the Parisian giants will not be renewing his contract after the current season. It’s a move that would increase awareness of the Saudi Pro League, which is becoming more and more popular, not least because of the side-scripts that would be there upon his arrival.
According to Al-Shenaif, the Argentine World Cup winner has already agreed a deal with Al Hilal, which was reported to be amounting up to a staggering €350 million per season. It will allow Lionel Messi to overtake his generational rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-paid athlete in the world. Al-Shenaif claimed in a recent program of SBC:
“Messi is coming to Al-Hilal, accompanied by Di Maria and Busquets.”
Renowned Spanish publication MARCA’s editor-in-chief Felix Diaz further endorsed the claims, telling:
“Al-Hilal will win the services of the trio Messi, Di Maria, Busquets. Messi, Di Maria, Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Iniesta are coming to the Saudi League. I assure you that Messi will not go to Barcelona..and his arrival to Al-Hilal with Di Maria is a matter of time. Messi’s father stated that it would be difficult for his son to return to Barcelona. Paris will soon announce the Argentine’s exit…and the player is coming to Al-Hilal.”
The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will be reignited after the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s arrival in Saudi Arabia. Felix Diaz’s remarks suggest that the Saudi Pro League will include a star-studded roster next season. Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is reportedly a target for Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Ittihad, according to Diaz.
Although the Ligue 1 championship is still within reach, Lionel Messi has even been jeered by his own fans after failing to bring the club the Champions League success they seek. Therefore, it was inevitable that the apparent tension between him and his current employers would give rise to reports of a Barca reunion.
However, an emotional return to Camp Nou is a challenging and unclear proposition given the Catalan giants’ continued financial problems. And on the other hand, money is no problem for Al-Hilal, and according to AFP, a contract between the club and Messi for up to €350 million is practically a “done deal.”