Mercato PSG : Messi would have chosen Saudi Arabia !
On the departure of PSG, Lionel Messi would have decided to continue his career in Saudi Arabia, and not in Barça, according to several concordant sources.
Back at PSG training on Monday, less than a week after his alleged two-week sanction, Lionel Messi ran into Robert Lewandowski on Monday night in Paris at the Laureus Worlds Sport Awards ceremony, where he received the Sportsman of the Year award.
Captured by several televisions, this exchange between Messi and Lewandowski has inflamed the Catalan press at a time when a return of the Argentine to Barcelona is still hoped by Joan Laporta and many Barcelona fans, despite the economic difficulties of the club blaugrana.
🚨 Messi to Lewandowski: “Everything is good in Barcelona?”
— Reshad Rahman (@ReshadRahman_) May 8, 2023
🗣️ Lewandowski: “Yes, all good”
❗️Antonella: “They [Lewy and his wife] are in love with the city”
❗️Legend Messi: “Do you live in Castelldefels (where Leo lives)?”
pic.twitter.com/mqf8uCpU98
But on Monday evening, the Spanish journalist Marçal Lorente revealed during the program El Chiringuito that Leo Messi would accept the Saudi offer of Al Hilal and thus join Saudi Arabia where a juicy contract awaits him (from 300 to 400 million euros per year according to sources).
🚨"Messi aceptará la propuesta del Al-Hilal"
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) May 9, 2023
🗞️La exclusiva de @Marsallorente , en la portada de @elchiringuitotv. pic.twitter.com/zph1m41TUp
Messi in Saudi Arabia, "a done deal
A few minutes ago, a Saudi source close to the negotiations confirmed to AFP that Leo Messi would indeed play in Saudi Arabia next season. "It's a done deal, he will play in Saudi Arabia," the source said, confirming that the Argentine will sign a "huge contract.
⚽La star du Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi, jouera en Arabie saoudite la saison prochaine, a affirmé à l'AFP une source saoudienne proche des négociations, qualifiant le contrat d'"énorme" 1/2 pic.twitter.com/ncLb21IXUW
— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) May 9, 2023
In recent hours, several Spanish media also announced that Sergio Busquets, at the end of his contract this summer, and Jordi Alba, who has only one year left on his contract at Barça, should follow their friend Lionel Messi to Al Hilal next season.
According to L'Equipe, Saudi Arabia has also made offers to several other close friends of Messi such as Sergio Ramos, Marco Verratti, Angel Di Maria or Leandro Paredes. The idea would be to place them in different clubs in the country to create a social environment likely to convince Messi and his family to join the country where his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo has been living for several months.