Riyadh: The government of Saudi Arabia is in talks with Argentine forward Lionel Messi and is preparing “the most lucrative salary deal in the history of football,” following media reports about French football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) deciding not to extend his contract for another term, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday.
French sports newspaper L’Equipe reported on Tuesday that PSG decided not to extend the contract for another term. According to the report, PSG’s manager Christophe Galtier suspended Messi for two weeks over an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia as part of his contract with the Saudi tourist office. The media found out that he had left the club training base without the manager’s approval on May 1, the next day he reportedly flew to Riyadh. The management’s decision not to extend Messi’s contract was made in the aftermath of his unauthorized trip, L’Equipe reported.
According to The Telegraph, the talks between Messi’s representatives, led by his father Jorge, and Riyadh to bring Messi to Saudi Pro League are underway. Saudi Arabia’s whole package could be worth $400 million annually, which would exceed the $200 million that Riyadh is paying Cristiano Ronaldo for playing in Saudi Arabia until the summer of 2025.
Messi joined PSG in the summer of 2021 in free agency on a two-year deal after he departed from Barcelona. His contract with PSG expires this summer.
Messi won the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022 for the first time in his career and was named the best player of the championship.
