Argentine superstar Lionel Messi will play in Saudi Arabia next season under a “huge” deal, Agence France-Presse reported on Tuesday.
A source close to the negotiations told AFP that “Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season.”
“The contract is exceptional. It’s huge. We are just finalizing some small details,” added the source, who is not authorized to speak to media.
Asked about the comments, Messi’s current club Paris Saint-Germain simply noted he remains under contract until June 30.
A separate PSG source said: “If the club had wanted to renew his contract, it would have been done earlier.”
The 35-year-old World Cup winner was suspended by Qatari-owned PSG last week for an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia, where he is a tourism ambassador.
Messi’s expected arrival in the Kingdom follows in the footsteps of his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr in a massive deal in January.
“The negotiations didn’t take as much time as the ones with Ronaldo, as we now know the recipe to contract world-class players,” said the source.
The source didn’t name the club Messi is going to play for in the Saudi league. — Agencies
