Saudi Pro League officials are plotting a strategy to potentially bring Lionel Messi to the Middle East and rekindle the rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Argentine forward will not be playing football from the months of October to February and this has led to speculation that the former Barcelona forward will be moving to the Saudi Pro League.
Lionel Messi reportedly turned down a €400 million offer from the league in the summer to join the club but he instead chose to move to David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
Now, Marca are claiming that the Pro League are plotting a way for Messi to be able to play in the division for a few months on loan.
After Inter Miami failed to qualify for the Major League Soccer playoffs, Messi will not take the field again until February following the completion of the regular season – unless he secures a short-term loan elsewhere.
Messi out on loan
The Argentine forward could be in line for a move but the report from the Spanish outlet doesn’t say what club would be interested in signing the former PSG man.
It would be expected to be one of the big four teams in the Pro League, who are all owned by PIF (Public Investment Fund), you wonder if Al-Hilal, who signed Neymar, would be tempted to sign the Argentine.
Great rival Cristiano Ronaldo opted to accept the country’s riches, putting pen to paper on a £162 million-a-year contract with Pro League team Al-Nassr at the start of the year.
The pair enjoyed an iconic battle in Europe for Barcelona and Real Madrid with over 1,500 goals scored between the pair and they could be set to rekindle their rivalry.