Lionel Messi‘s sensational big-money move to Saudi Arabia from Paris Saint-Germain this summer is a ‘done deal’, according to reports in France.
Veteran Messi, 35, widely seen as the world’s best footballer, will sign a massive contract worth £522million at Saudi side Al-Hilal despite the reported concerns of his wife Antonela Roccuzzo.
The move will see him reignite his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Hilal’s rivals Al-Nassr in the controversial Gulf state.
And according to AFP, a Saudi source close to the negotiations confirmed on Tuesday morning that Messi will be playing in Saudi next season, labelling the transfer ‘huge’.
The source, speaking anonymously, added the move is now a ‘done deal’. But Messi‘s father, Jorge, has shut down the reports and insisted no decision has been made about his son’s club for next season.
Forward Lionel Messi’s move to Saudi Arabia this summer is a ‘done deal’, according to reports
Argentine Messi has reportedly signed a massive £522million contract with Saudi side Al-Hilal
The Cup winner is already a tourism ambassador for the controversial Middle Eastern nation
Jorge took to social media to say: ‘There is absolutely nothing with any club for next year. The decision will never be made before Lionel finished the league with PSG.
‘Once the season is over it will be time to analyse and see what is there, and then make a decision. There are always rumors and many use the name of Lionel to gain notoriety but the truth is only one and we can assure that there is nothing with anyone. Neither verbal, nor signed, nor agreed, and there will not be until the end of the season.
‘It seems to me a lack of respect towards the media where they respond, that there are those who consciously and deliberately deceive, without providing any proof of their claims, and wanting to turn any malicious rumor into news or that is directed by someone in favor of their interests.’
It comes after Messi’s entourage also told GetFootballNewsFrance that no agreement had yet been reached with the Saudi outfit. PSG did not make a comment to AFP, other than restating that Messi’s contract lasts until June 30 this summer.
French newspaper L’Equipe had earlier claimed a verbal agreement had been reached but no contract had yet been signed.
It was reported earlier on Tuesday that his wife Antonela ‘could not imagine’ moving their family to Saudi Arabia, in what remains a potential stumbling block to the move.
She is reportedly reluctant for the couple, along with their three young sons – Thiago, 10, Mateo, 7, and Ciro, 5 – to relocate to the Middle East and she would prefer to stay in Europe.
And Messi had reportedly been prepared to wait until the end of the season to make his decision after discussing his future with his family – but it now appears those concerns have been allayed, with Messi set to move to Saudi capital city Riyadh.
L’Equipe claim the offer on the table for Messi is a two-year deal with the option of a third, which would see the player turn 38 before it expires.
It was also said Messi himself would have preferred to stay in Europe, with the star reportedly keeping an eye on the financial situation at former club Barcelona.
Messi is set to leave French giants PSG when his contract expires at the end of the season and he has now reportedly signed a £522m deal with the wealthy Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal
Messi and his wife Antonela (left) recently made a visit to Saudi Arabia with their sons Ciro and Mateo (pictured) as part of his duties as a tourism ambassador in the Middle Eastern country
Messi’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo (left) was reportedly reluctant for the couple along with their three young children to move to Saudi Arabia and would prefer that they stayed in Europe
But it now appears he has closed the door on a return to Spain.
Barcelona – where Messi played for most of his legendary career – must find around £175m to be able to register recruited players or players already on the books who they sign to new contract extensions.
Messi, an ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s joint bid for the 2030 World Cup, is strongly expected to leave PSG when his contract ends on June 30. Similar to Ronaldo, Saudi Arabia see Messi as a star of the game.
They believe that the prospect of him moving to the country is a ‘unique opportunity which is impossible to pass up’.
It’s claimed that Riyadh has been preparing its strategy for months and has ‘left nothing to chance’.
Talk of a move to Saudi heightened after he took an unauthorised trip to the country, where he holds a £25m-a-year tourism ambassadorial role. Messi’s trip went down very badly with the French giants, who suspended him for two weeks.
PSG players had a scheduled day off on the Monday but following their 3-1 defeat to Lorient the previous day, boss Christophe Galtier ordered them in for extra training.
But Messi was already in transit to Saudi Arabia and wasn’t able to turn back.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner issued a grovelling apology via social media in which he said: ‘Hello. Well, I wanted to make this video after everything that’s going on.
‘First of all, I apologise again to my team-mates at the club. I honestly thought that we were going to have the day off after the game as we had done before.
‘I had organised this trip to Saudi Arabia, which I had previously cancelled and I couldn’t go. Once again, I apologise for what I did. So here I am, waiting to see what the club wants to do, nothing more. A hug.’
Spanish outlet El Chiringuito reported Messi could be joined at Al-Hilal by his former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets, who will accept a two-season deal, and potentially also Jordi Alba.
Al-Hilal are currently fourth in the Saudi Pro League, the top tier in Saudi football, with Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in second, five points behind Al-Ittihad with four games left this season.
Ramon Diaz’s side, who play at the 68,752-capacity King Fahd International Stadium, won the league title last season but are lagging behind the leaders this campaign – potentially greasing the wheels of a stellar move for Messi.
Al-Hilal boast the likes of Argentine forward Luciano Vietto, Peruvian winger Andre Carrillo, and strikers Odion Ighalo – formerly of Manchester United – and Moussa Marega.
Lionel Messi is bound for Saudi Arabia then.
After months of speculation over whether or not he would join nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East, reports in France revealed on Tuesday morning that a deal is complete.
The Argentine World Cup winner, 35, will sign a massive contract worth £522million at Saudi side Al-Hilal.
It will also see him reignite his long-standing rivalry with Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Hilal’s rivals Al-Nassr in the Gulf state.
As Saudi Arabia continues to make power plays to establish itself as a global sports hub, the prospect of the two greatest players of their, or any, generation going head-to-head in their league is a mouth-watering one.
Lionel Messi, wife Antonela Roccuzzo and sons Mateo and Ciro pose with horses during their recent visit to Saudi Arabia which led to the Argentine player being suspended by PSG
Messi poses with a falcon during his Saudi visit amid rumours he could play football there
Cristiano Ronaldo with his family in Saudi Arabia after he signed for Al-Nassr back in January
Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez enjoy the sunshine in the Saudi capital
The Portuguese star, 38, is attempting to lead Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title having signed for the club after his acrimonious departure from Manchester United
At 35, Messi is moving from the autumn to the winter of his astonishing career.
While Messi – and his family – may have preferred a move back to Barcelona, where he emerged from the academy ranks to become their greatest player, the Spanish club’s well-documented financial issues have proven to be an unbeatable hurdle.
In order to register Messi’s contract with LaLiga, who run Spain’s top division, Barcelona needed to lose around €200m [£175m] from their existing wage bill.
If they re-signed Messi, who currently commands wages approaching £1m-a-week, they would have had to sell several existing big earners to stay within the league limits.
So while Barcelona fans were beginning to get excited that Messi’s two-week PSG suspension after an unsanctioned ambassadorial trip to Saudi could have led him back to the Nou Camp, it was never likely to become reality.
There was also interest from Inter Miami in the United States but in terms of pure financial incentive, the Saudi offer blows everyone else out the water.
Messi has become disillusioned with Paris Saint-Germain and will leave the club this summer
The fallout marks the end of a lukewarm love affair between Messi and the Parisian club
Messi already has ties to the country. Last year, he agreed to a £25m-a-year deal to work as a tourism ambassador for the Saudis.
His visit with wife Antonela and their children Mateo, seven, and Ciro, five, last week saw them pose for a set of nice promotional pictures which the Saudis no doubt plan to use in their holiday brochures.
There were snaps of Messi with a falcon perched on his arm, playing board game Carrom, of the family learning the local craft of palm-weaving and everyone playing arcade games at a Riyadh amusement park.
The Saudi minister of tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb tweeted: ‘I am happy to welcome Messi and his family to Saudi to enjoy the magical tourist destinations and authentic experiences.
‘We welcome visitors from all around the world to experience a unique trip to Saudi Arabia and its hospitality.’
Messi and his son try out the board game Carrom during the promotional trip to Riyadh
The Messi family learned the art of palm-weaving during their Middle East trip this week
The family visited an amusement park in Riyadh as part of Messi’s ambassadorial role
The Saudis are keen to make use of Messi’s global profile to promote tourism to the country
Messi and his wife pose for pictures during their visit to Diriyah earlier this week
Trips to the petting zoo or excursions to Diriyah could become regular occurrences when they live in the kingdom and for an idea of the lifestyle, he only has to look at Ronaldo.
The 38-year-old Portuguese star signed for Al-Nassr at the beginning of the year having left Manchester United by mutual consent following his criticism of the club in an interview with Piers Morgan.
Initially, Ronaldo and his family were staying in the luxury Kingdom Suite at the Four Seasons hotel in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
The 3,000ft suite, spread over two floors, offers sweeping views over the city and is so expensive there isn’t even a cost listed on the hotel’s website. Estimates put the cost of the bill for Ronaldo and his entourage at over £250,000.
The five-star hotel’s website boasts: ‘Entertain guests with unparalleled views of Riyadh. Our newest two-storey suite spans the 48th and 50th floors of the hotel, with a soaring living room, a private office, a dining room and a media room.’
Ronaldo and his family could enjoy ‘the best of dishes from China, Japan, India and the Middle East, with the freshest ingredients to order’ delivered directly to their room.
Cristiano Ronaldo and his family stayed at the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Ronaldo is on a £175million-a-year deal at Al Nassr but Messi’s contract could be higher
Messi and his family could certainly stay here until they find more permanent accommodation should they arrive over the summer.
Ronaldo, partner Georgina Rodriguez and their five children moved out of the hotel and into a new home in February, just in time for a visit from his mother Dolores Aveiro.
The new home is said to be in an exclusive compound with state-of-the-art security and all amenities such as gyms, shops and restaurants nearby. It is understood the family are renting the mansion.
Ronaldo and his family have also sampled some of the exclusive restaurants on offer in Riyadh, including Miyazo, which offers ‘contemporary Japanese cuisine driven by passion.’
He also shared a dinner of Lebanese food with Saudi minister of sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal in Diriyah.
We’ve also seen Ronaldo attend various events related to his newly-adopted country. He donned traditional dress and posed with a sword to mark the anniversary of the country’s foundation back in February.
Pictures from inside the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh, where Ronaldo and his family stayed
The 38-year-old star stayed in the hotel’s lavish ‘Kingdom Suite’ – which covers two floors
Messi, of course, would be even better placed to fulfil his ambassadorial role if he moved to Saudi itself but given Ronaldo has 579 million Instagram followers and Georgina 50m, simply posting any kind of picture in the country is priceless advertising.
On the pitch, Ronaldo has scored 12 goals in 16 matches so far for Al-Nassr, who are currently second in the Pro League standings, five points behind leaders Al-Ittihad.
With four matches remaining, Ronaldo still has the chance to lead his team to title glory, though it hasn’t been entirely smooth.
When Al-Nassr lost 2-0 to Al-Hilal last month, rival fans chanted ‘Messi, Messi’ at Ronaldo, who appeared to grab his crotch as he walked off the pitch. It does at least prove Messi will be a hugely popular addition to the league.
The act was heavily criticised in some quarters, with lawyer Nouf bin Ahmed saying it was ‘a crime of public dishonour’ before calling for Ronaldo to be ‘arrested and deported.’
Ronaldo gives the thumbs up as he attended Saudi founding anniversary events in February
The Al Nassr player posed with a sword and in traditional dress amid Founding Day events
The star attended the boxing match between Tommy Fury and Jake Paul back in February
Ronaldo and his partner Georgina pose for a nice Instagram picture
When coach Rudi Garcia left the club by mutual consent, it was reported the reason was that Ronaldo ‘wasn’t satisfied’ with his tactics. It was also speculated Garcia had a ‘blazing dressing room row’ with the team.
But everything Ronaldo has ever done is under the microscope and an insight by Piers Morgan to Tatler magazine earlier this year said the footballer and his family were ‘absolutely loving it’ in Saudi.
When Rodriguez made her social debut at the Joy Awards, she was ‘the talk of the city.’
Throughout their spectacular careers Messi and Ronaldo have always competed goal-for-goal and trophy-for-trophy. They have always been rivals, though the frostiness has thawed with passing age.
We will soon find out if Riyadh is big enough for the both of them.
Ronaldo courted controversy when he appeared to grab his crotch in response to opposition fans shouting ‘Messi, Messi’ in his direction
