Representatives of Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi have received a contract offer worth €400m-a-year from Saudi Arabia club Al Hilal which would make him the highest-paid footballer of all time, News About Nigeria reports.
Al Hilal are confident they can persuade Messi to move to Saudi Arabia after the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner recently made an unauthorised trip to the country as part of his duties as an ambassador for the tourism board.
The club’s offer which was received by Messi’s father, Jorge, is coming at a time when his former club Barcelona is fighting to get him back at the expiration of his two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
Barcelona is quite confident they will be in a position to announce the return of Messi soon, following speculations that the Argentine prefers a return to Catalonia, where he spent the first 21 years of his career after moving from his native country.
Meanwhile, if Messi should prioritize his earnings over anything else, Barcelona might have to struggle, as they won’t be able to match Al-Hilal’s offer, especially due to the club’s financial plight.
But the President of FC Barcelona Joan Laporta is confident the club will be able to balance the numbers before the summer transfer window opens.
Recall that Sergio Busquets, one of the highest earners in Barca had earlier confirmed his departure from Camp Nou at the end of the season, after winning 32 major honours with his boyhood club en route to making over 700 appearances.
With his imminent departure, Barcelona stands a chance to offer Messi a bid worth his class, even though it won’t match what Al-Hilal is offering him.
Barcelona also hopes to open the doors for their young winger Ansu Fati, while considering bids for Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres – players who all earn a significant wage at the club and may see their minutes marginalised by Messi’s return.
