Lionel Messi's lack of commitment to sign a new deal with PSG has sparked several rumors about his future, and there could be a potential bidding war between many suitors.
One of those suitors will undoubtedly be Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, who have shown increasing interest in signing the footballer, especially after Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Pro League rivals Al Nassr. Initial contacts had taken place in January, but new conversations took place between the club and Messi's representatives, giving the world a glimpse of what could take place if "La Pulga" joined the club.
According to a report aired in El Chiringuito, sources close to the negotiation have stated that Messi has asked Al Hilal to offer him a whopping wage of $600M per season, which means he reportedly wants to earn three times as much as Cristiano Ronaldo earns.
The Saudi Arabian side had reached out to Messi with an initial bid of $300M per season, and according to El Chiringuito, the Pro League club added an extra $50M to their bid. Apparently, that bid is not enough for Messi's representatives, and while negotiations may still take place, this massive increase in Messi's demands could make the deal a bit more complicated.
Apparently, Messi's demands increased due to his successful run in the FIFA World Cup. Added to that, the player's win in the 2022 FIFA The Best gala also gave him one more reason to add to his demand.
Messi has also been sought out by Major League Soccer teams and by Barcelona, although the current situation by Els Culers practically rules them out of the race to sign the South American superstar. Now, only time will tell if Messi returns to the negotiation table with PSG, who are also keen on keeping him around only if the footballer agrees to add certain clauses in his contract that would benefit the French side in terms of Financial Fair Play rules.
