Lionel Messi has an uncertain future with Paris Saint-Germain as the 35-year-old’s contract expires in June. As a result, the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner will become a free agent this summer and any club could be in the mix for him.
However, a Saudi club president isn’t one of them. Turki Al-Dabaan, president of Al-Tai, stated his team wouldn’t be in the mix for Messi despite the reports of Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal reportedly being interested after Al-Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo last December.
Al-Dabaan states Messi’s performance in his team’s UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich, which PSG lost 3-0 on aggregate, is why he would not want to splash out on him.
“I do not want to sign a world-class player in my team who is saturated and watches the match from the stadium like Messi in front of Bayern Munich,” Al Dhabaan told Saudi Arabian TV channel SBC (h/t GOAL).
Fortunately for Al-Dabaan, it doesn’t seem like Messi will be heading to Saudi Arabia this summer, as he’s reportedly keen on remaining in Europe. As a result, rumors of a return to FC Barcelona are surfacing as an alternative option should he not stay at PSG.
Currently, the capital club and Messi face two significant hurdles, per a report, for him to continue in the French capital, so it will be interesting to see where the Argentine continues his career.
