Report: Riyadh in Talks With Messi for Lucrative Deal After PSG Fallout

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The government of Saudi Arabia is reportedly in talks with Argentine forward Lionel Messi and is preparing "the most lucrative salary deal in the history of football."

UK media reported that the talks come after French media earlier reported football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was deciding not to extend Messi's contract for another term.

French media reported on Tuesday that PSG chose to not extend the contract for another term in addition to a two-week suspension over an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia as part of his contract with the Saudi tourist office.

Media outlets discovered Messi left the club training base without the manager's approval on May 1, the next day he reportedly flew to Riyadh. The management's decision not to extend Messi's contract was said to have been made in the aftermath of his unauthorized trip.

UK media revealed that talks between Messi's representatives, led by his father Jorge, and Riyadh to bring Messi to Saudi Pro League are presently underway.

It's said that Saudi Arabia's whole package could be worth $400 million annually, which would exceed the $200 million that Riyadh is paying Cristiano Ronaldo for playing in Saudi Arabia until the summer of 2025.

Messi joined PSG in the summer of 2021 in free agency on a two-year deal after he departed from Barcelona. His contract with PSG expires this summer.

Messi won the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022 for the first time in his career and was named the best player of the championship.