Saudi Arabian club want Lionel Messi and are readying gigantic contract offer

Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal are considering making an enormous offer to Lionel Messi to tempt him to join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo has completed his move to Al Nassr in a blockbuster free transfer and now their Riyadh rivals want to bring his old foe to the country as well.

Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo report that Al Nassr are willing to offer the recent World Cup winner $300m-per-year (£247.4m) on a contract to move to Saudi Arabia.

The 35-year-old is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season so will be available on a free transfer in the summer.

The report from Spain suggests Al Nassr would like to get hold of Messi in January, although that would obviously mean a transfer fee and PSG agreeing to let the superstar leave mid-season.

Al Hilal are managed by an Argentinian, Ramon Diaz, who is in his second spell in charge of the club and has also managed the likes of River Plate, Paraguay and…Oxford United.

The club has won the last three Saudi Pro League titles and five of the last six, so will be feeling a little upstaged by their rivals Al Nassr pulling off the enormous signing of Ronaldo.

They hope that bringing in Messi will help maintain their dominance, while Saudi Arabia as a nation continue to push for more favourable PR on the global scene through sport.

There is competition for Messi’s signature, though, with Inter Miami hopeful of attracting him to MLS, while Barcelona are interested in a romantic reunion, although it seems unlikely they will be able to afford it.

MORE : Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Debates over who’s the greatest are getting on my goat

MORE : Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian debut set to be friendly against Lionel Messi’s PSG

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.