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Lionel Messi is set to snub FC Barcelona and will take an offer from Saudi Arabia, according to … [+]
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Lionel Messi is set to snub FC Barcelona and take a mouthwatering $600 million deal in Saudi Arabia according to a well-placed source that spoke on Radio Marca past midnight on Wednesday evening.
FIFA-registered agent Marco Kirdermir boasts strong relationships with Paris Saint Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and the King of Saudi Arabia, and claims to know what Messi’s future holds.
On Wednesday afternoon, reports spread that Messi’s father and agent Jorge Messi has already told PSG they will not continue at the club when his contract expires on June 30.
The Qatari-backed giants were allegedly informed of the decision a month ago, and while Onda Cero reported earlier that day that Messi will head to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia after spending a year at Barca, this is not true according to Kirdemir.
“He’s not going to Barcelona,” stated Kirdemir on Radio Marca, adding that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will only return to Camp Nou “when he retires”.
“He has an offer of $600 million dollars from Al-Hilal, the King’s team,” Kirdemir said. If this is accurate and Messi accepted, the potential development would immediately put him in line to top Forbes’ rankings of the World’s Highest-Paid Athletes in 2024.
On the most recent list published this week, Messi finished second to generational rival Cristiano Ronaldo by earning $130 million compared to the Portuguese’s $136 million.
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Kirdemir went on to reveal that Messi recently traveled to the Kingdom to meet the King and find places to live.
“If his family gives the OK he will play in Saudi Arabia,” explained Kirdemir, who attended an important meeting in Madrid a few months ago where he sat down with delegates from the Saudi Football Federation and discussed the potential coup.
Kirdemir pointed out that PSG probably wouldn’t have handed down a two-week suspension, which will see Messi docked half a month’s pay and miss two matches, if he hadn’t travelled to a country that has problems with Qatar.
The development, where Messi headed to Saudi Arabia without the permission of his club to fulfil his duties as a tourism ambassador “angered the president of PSG”, Kirdemir said, as hundreds of fans also insulted the Argentine with offensive chants on Wednesday afternoon.
PSG have condemned the actions of their supporters who offended Messi and teammate Neymar through a statement, but the relationship between the Ligue 1 leaders and the Qatar 2022 winner seems broken beyond repair.
Kirdemir concluded that the Saudis are “going to spend as much money as possible” in trying to create a strong league and lure the biggest stars to it as they eye a bid for the 2030 World Cup.
Debt-ridden with the need to shed €200 million ($221 million) from the wage bill, Barca simply cannot compete with these numbers and may miss out on Messi donning Blaugrana once more as a consequence.
Also on Wednesday, SPORT reported that Messi will be offered a much lower €25 million ($27.6 million) a year by the Catalans.
