Rumours spread earlier this week that Al-Hilal were willing to fork out £245million for the Argentine star, but ‘Al-Ittihad are now also believed to have shown interest’ in the Paris Saint-Germain star – with the league looking to increase it’s star power following Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr.
According to reports in Marca, both clubs are willing to pay Messi a huge ‘£306m’ per season, eclipsing the £175m his old rival Ronaldo earns.
They also report that both interested clubs are currently sanctioned by FIFA due to ‘irregularities’ and would not be able to sign Messi until the summer.
Marca also names players such as Luka Modric, Angel Di Maria, and Sergio Ramos as targets for the Saudi league.
In theory, Messi would be available in June as he will be out of contract with PSG, but the 35-year-old is believed to have assured the club he will sign a contract extension.
He scored in an excellent performance for the French side earlier this week to mark his first game back since lifting the World Cup in December.
If the Argentine legend was to join Al-Hilal or Al-Ittihad, it could trigger the return of one of football’s great rivalries.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr appeared to have signalled the end of his battle with Messi, but that could be about to change.
Clashes between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are considered Saudi’s equivalent of El Clasico, and seeing Messi and Ronaldo on opposite sides would only add extra spice to the occasion.
The legendary paid could also play against one another when PSG travel to Riyadh to take on an All-Star XI featuring players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal on January 19.
This could act as a dress rehearsal for future meetings between the iconic pair if Messi decides to end his time in Europe and take Al-Hilal’s lucrative offer.
