Lionel Messi's Move To Saudi Arabia 'Done Deal': Report

Football legend Lionel Messi is all set to leave Paris Saint-Germain in the summer and join a Saudi Arabia-based club, a report has confirmed. Messi had recently made a trip to the Middle Eastern country for which he was handed a suspension but Ligue 1 club. The purpose of Messi's visit wasn't' initially confirmed but it seems like it had something to do with the Argentina legend finalising details of his future during the visit. Messi's current contract with the French giants concludes at the end of next month.

"Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season," AFP quoted a source as saying. "The contract is exceptional. It's huge. We are just finalising some small details," the source added.

Asked about the comments, Messi's current club Paris Saint-Germain simply noted that 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."

The 35-year-old World Cup winner was suspended by Qatari-owned PSG last week for an unauthorised trip to Saudi, where he is a tourism ambassador.

Messi's expected arrival in the oil-rich 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. However, Ronaldo's continuity at Al-Nassr is also surrounded by clouds of uncertainty. It has been reported in the recent weeks that the Portuguese is keen on a return to Europe.

Ronaldo's agreement to June 2025 is said to total more than 400 million euros ($439million), making him the world's highest paid athlete according to Forbes.

With AFP inputs