According to reports, Saudi Arabia is preparing to offer Lionel Messi terms worth £193 million per year to move to Al-Hilal.

This is coming after fellow football great, Cristiano Ronaldo signed a lucrative contract with Al-Nassr. Shortly after leaving Manchester United earlier this year.

The Saudi Pro League has benefited from more eyes watching their football since then. With Ronaldo’s side currently one point behind leaders Al-Ittihad.

After opening talks with Messi and his advisors late last year, senior figures in the bid decide to bring the 35-year-old to the Middle Eastern country. They thought they had only a remote chance of convincing the former Barcelona forward to follow Ronaldo to Riyadh.

Following talks with the player’s camp in Saudi Arabia last month, a source told ESPN that there is now a “50-50” chance that Messi, who is the face of the Visit Saudi tourism campaign, will join the Saudi Pro League.

What Does Messi Want?

According to ESPN, Messi is unlikely to reach an agreement to extend his contract at PSG, which expires at the end of the season after signing a two-year deal when he arrived from Barcelona in 2021.

While Barcelona president Joan Laporta remains interested in funding a deal to bring Argentina captain Lionel Messi back to the Spotify Camp Nou, the La Liga leaders continue to struggle financially, and a move for Messi appears unlikely to succeed

And, while Inter Miami has been in long-term talks to sign Messi, the Major League Soccer franchise would be unable to compete with the money on offer in Saudi Arabia.

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While a source claims that reports of a £350 million-a-year contract with Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia are exaggerated, there is a desire in the country to continue raising the profile of the Saudi Pro League following Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr in December.

Saudi Arabia will host the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in December, and the country is expected to confirm its bid to host the 2030 World Cup later this year.