Modric, Lloris among 'more than 10' Saudi targets: Source

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is hoping to lure a swathe of world-famous footballers including Luka Modric and Hugo Lloris, a source close to the negotiations has told AFP, after snagging Cristiano Ronaldo and launching bids for Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema.

"More than 10" seasoned players including N'Golo Kante and Roberto Firmino have been approached, the source said, by the oil-rich kingdom which has ambitions of hosting the World Cup and is betting on sport to help revamp its austere image.

According to Saudi sources and state media this weekend, delegations flew to Paris and Madrid to secure the signatures of Messi and Benzema after their final games for Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

But the Saudis are also "in contact with more than 10 players, many of them won the World Cup or the Champions League, to join the Saudi league next season", said the source close to the talks, on condition of anonymity.

In addition to Messi, "the list includes Benzema, (Sergio) Ramos, (Angel) Di Maria, Modric, Hugo Lloris, Kante, Firmino, (Jordi) Alba and (Sergio) Busquets".

"Beside receiving quite lucrative offers they will play in a very competitive league," the source said, adding that the Saudis aimed to "seal most of the deals" before the new season starts on Aug 11.

Such a wishlist would have seemed unthinkable before the Saudis pulled off the signing of Ronaldo, 37, in January on a two-and-a-half-year deal said to be worth more than 400 million euros.

Last month, a source close to the Messi negotiations told AFP that his signature was a "done deal", describing the terms of the agreement as "huge".

All the players listed are major stars at the tail-end of their careers, Firmino being the youngest at 31. Apart from French goalkeeper