[Messi with wife and children during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia.]
Paris: Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, already Tourism Ambassador of the Kingdom, 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.”
Meanwhile, hoardings greeting and welcoming Messi to Saudi Arabia is already featuring on Saudi roads and highways.
"Impossible is nothing", one with a huge photograph of Messi holding FIFA World Cup 2022 Trophy, reads.
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.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said he is unperturbed about where Lionel Messi plays next season, adding that his only concern is whether the 35-year-old is happy.
"Let him go to where he will feel comfortable with his teammates and the club's fans," Scaloni was quoted as saying by Argentina's media. "The matter does not affect us as a national team as long as he's happy when he joins us and we need him to be happy."
"Let him go to where he will feel comfortable with his teammates and the club's fans," Scaloni was quoted as saying by Argentina's media.
"The matter does not affect us as a national team as long as he's happy when he joins us and we need him to be happy."
Messi's suspension by PSG was shortened after he apologized to teammates and the forward returned to training in the French capital on Monday.
His father and agent, Jorge Messi, meanwhile denied any deal with another club, saying his son's future would be decided at the end of the current European season.
In a related development, it is being reported that Ronaldo is not able to adjust to the tough weather condition in the Kingdom, and he is unlikely to renew his contract with Al Nassr.
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