An anonymous source has confirmed that Argentine football star Lionel Messi will be playing in Saudi Arabia next season under a “huge” deal, but did not disclose which club he will be joining.
The source added that the contract is “exceptional” and that they are currently finalising some small details. Messi’s current club, Paris Saint-Germain, responded to the news by stating that he remains under contract until June 30th.
This news comes after Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr earlier this year in a deal reportedly worth more than 400 million euros.
The deals for both players are being financed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds with more than $620 billion in assets.
The source added that negotiations for Messi did not take as long as those for Ronaldo, as “it’s Saudi Arabia that brought him not a specific club” and that the money comes from one place – PIF.
