LIONEL MESSI is reportedly closing in on a transfer to move to an unknown club in Saudi Arabia.
And that would see the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner reignite his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lionel Messi could leave PSG and move to Saudi Arabia this summerAFP
That would see him go up against Cristiano Ronaldo againGetty
Reports last week suggested Messi could be offered a staggering £400million for just one season in the Gulf State with Al-Hilal.
Now French media agency AFP state Messi has held negotiations with a club in Saudi over a “huge” contract.
But SunSport understands Messi will make no decision on his future until after the end of the Ligue 1 season.
He is fully focused on securing the league title with PSG and then will assess his options.
Messi, 35, will see his Paris Saint-Germain contract expire at the end of this season, two years after his emotional free transfer from boyhood club Barcelona.
And he looks increasingly unlikely to sign an extension at the Parc des Princes, especially after initially being suspended for two weeks for his unauthorised promo trip to Saudi.
Remorseful Messi, who returned to training just five days later yesterday, said: “I thought we were going to have a day off after the game as always.
“I had this trip organized and I couldn’t cancel it. I had already cancelled it before…
“I apologise to my team-mates and I’m waiting for what the club wants to do with me.”
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The alleged move to Saudi, following Ronaldo’s late last year, would prove a massive boost for the country’s publicity and the league’s promotion.
However, AFP remains unclear which Saudi team are trying to close in on the World Cup winner.
The forward has also been linked with a return to Barcelona as well as MLS side Inter Miami.
Messi spent Monday night with his wife at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Paris, hours after being pictured in PSG training kit on the club’s official Twitter.
He was crowned sportsman of the year after captaining Argentina to glory at Qatar 2022, pipping Max Verstappen, Mundo Duplantis, Rafael Nadal, Steph Curry and PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe to the prestigious gong.
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