Saudi Arabia reportedly offers Messi £320m football contract, amid suspension from PSG

Lionel Messi

04 May 2023; MEMO: Argentinian football player, Lionel Messi, is reportedly in talks to joi the Saudi Pro League for an annual contract worth $400 million.

According to the Telegraph, Saudi Arabia is preparing the offer as Messi is set to leave France's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) club and become a free agent this summer.

After two years with PSG, the club suspended Messi following his trip to Saudi Arabia without its permission. Rather than training with teammates on Monday, he was, instead, in Saudi Arabia watching a palm-weaving demonstration and looking around the Arabian Horse Museum as part of his role as the Kingdom's tourism ambassador.

At the end of this season, he is also set to move to the Gulf country, with the rumoured Saudi offer of $400 million potentially a significant aspect of that. He would then join the Saudi Pro League.

Such a contract would surpass the $200 million per year deal provided to his rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined the Saudi club Al Nassr in January and which made him the highest-paid player in football history and the highest earning athlete of 2023.