Lionel Messi 'accepts' two-year offer worth almost £1bn - double Cristiano Ronaldo's deal
Lionel Messi's future remains uncertain despite the Argentine magician playing his final game for PSG on Saturday, with one outlet claiming he has already agreed a move to Saudi Arabia
Posted Wednesday, May 31, 2023 by Dailystar.co.uk
Lionel Messi will leave PSG at the end of this season
Lionel Messi's camp have reportedly accepted a £1billion offer to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.
The 35-year-old is set to play the final game of his two-season long spell at Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday. Messi’s appearance at the Parc des Princes comes after he was briefly suspended by PSG for making an unsanctioned trip to Saudi.
That gave rise to increased speculation about Messi agreeing a move to the Middle-East once his contract runs out at the end of this season, which the Argentine’s dad and agent Jorge categorically denied.
But a new report from Foot Mercato suggests Al-Hilal have overcome a major hurdle by coming to an agreement with the player’s entourage.
The French outlet claims Messi’s camp have accepted a deal which would see him earn an eye-watering sum of nearly £1bn (€1.2bn) over two years - or close to £500m-per-year.
That would be more than double the amount his former Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo is earning in Saudi Arabia after joining Al-Hilal’s rivals Al-Nassr.
Despite Jorge Messi’s apprehension in the past, Foot Mercato claim the agent has already agreed the offer, which will see him receive the highest commission from a transfer in football history.
It comes despite Messi’s preference to return to boyhood side Barcelona, where he won four Champions League titles and spent the majority of his career before being forced to leave due to the club’s dire financial situation.
The 35-year-old’s former Barcelona teammates and close friends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba will also leave the Catalan club at the end of the season.
But despite rumours of the three reuniting at Al-Hilal, Busquets remains adamant nothing has been agreed.
When asked by Mundo Deportivo whether Messi has accepted an offer from Saudi Arabia, Busquets said: "No, no, surely not. I give you my word."
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