DailyTransfer

Mercato: Barcelona, Al Hilal... decision imminent for Messi

30/05/23 10:30 by Fabien Borne

Having reached the end of his contract with PSG on June 30, and being courted by Barça and Al Hilal among others, Lionel Messi will be making a decision in the next few days, according to several corroborating sources.

Lionel Messi's decision on his future is imminent. This is what several concordant sources have been announcing since yesterday evening, whether in Catalonia (Mundo Deportivo), Argentina (Gaston Edul) or even Italy (Fabrizio Romano).

After winning the 43rd title of his career with PSG, and surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo in the number of goals scored in Europe's top leagues (496 compared to 495 for the Portuguese), Lionel Messi will be making a decision on his future in the coming days.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barça are still waiting for the green light from La Liga and have yet to make an offer to the Argentine, making it an unlikely option at this stage, even if Messi would still make his former club his preferred destination (unlike his father, who would prefer Saudi Arabia).

Saudi Arabia the favourite?

But other clubs such as Al Hilal, who are offering him between 300 and 600 million euros a year depending on the source, have already taken action. At this stage, the Saudi club is the clear favorite. That, for example, is the feeling of Madrid daily Marca.

Argentine journalist Gaston Edul, who is reputedly close to the Messi clan, has made it known in recent hours that La Pulga's entourage have not ruled out another European destination, should a return to Barça not be possible.

Messi putting pressure on Barça?

In any case, all sources agree that Messi will not wait for Barça all summer, and is keen to make a decision in the next few days (within two weeks, according to Helena Condis, who follows Barça for COPE). While Messi will make his decision soon, there's no guarantee that he'll announce his choice straight away, and the soap opera could drag on a little longer.

Some Catalan media believe that the latest information concerning Messi comes from his entourage and is intended to put pressure on Barça to act quickly and finally make him an offer. The Argentine was in Barcelona on Sunday to attend the Coldplay concert. At the same time, the UNFP Trophies ceremony took place, crowning Kylian Mbappé as best player.

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