Lionel Messi is actively considering a move to Al Hilal which would see him rival Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, it's been claimed.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar, 35, is increasing likely to leave the Parc des Princes when his contract expires at the end of this season and has received a bumper £350million-a-year offer from the Middle Eastern club. But Messi is also confirmed to be in talks over re-signing for Barcelona, his beloved side who he left in 2021 due to the LaLiga giants' well-documented financial woes.
Ronaldo, three years his senior, made the move to Saudi Arabia in December when he left Manchester United to join Al-Nassr, scoring 10 goals in nine appearances since. Al Hilal are Ronaldo and co's fierce local rivals, also hailing from the capital city of Riyadh.
Messi's current predicament - after talks over a new deal with PSG broke down, according to ESPN - is to either rejoin Barcelona in what would be a sensational homecoming or follow his old foe to the Middle East. The Argentine legend already fronts the Visit Saudi tourism campaign, with sources telling ESPN that the probability of him moving there is as high as 50-50.
Ronaldo recently claimed that the Saudi Pro League could soon be amongst the top leagues in world football and expressed his happiness after taking his career to Asia. "I feel really good. That's why I'm here," the Portuguese icon declared. "If I didn't think so, I wouldn't be. I'm in a very competitive league. They should look at the Saudi championship differently.
"Obviously, it's not like the Premier League, I'd be lying if I said it was, but it's competitive. I'm surprised by the strength. It has good teams, it is balanced, the Arab players are good, the foreigners give quality. Possibly it will be, in five to six years' time, if they continue this plan, the fourth or fifth most competitive league in the world."
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Perhaps Ronaldo will be proven right but the fact remains that right now moving back to Barcelona would be a much more prestigious, albeit less lucrative, transfer for Messi. The 35-year-old has been urged to return to the Camp Nou by former team-mates Thierry Henry and Xavi, with the latter now Barca manager and set to win the league title in his first full season.
Vice-president Rafa Yuste, second in command to head honcho Joan Laporta, confirmed last week that talks between Barcelona officials and Messi's father and agent, Jorge, had taken place. Barca are also confident that they could sign the World Cup winner, despite LaLiga president Javier Tebas warning them that they'll need to firstly raise significant funds by selling players.
"There are two months left in which we can work with Tebas and show it's possible," Yuste confidently explained. "If all the conditions are met, we are open to the possibility. [Laporta] has been with Leo's father, and there is a good relationship."
