Al-Hilal considering offering PSG superstar Lionel Messi 'insane salary' to reignite rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia: Reports

Al-Hilal have joined the race to sign Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi. The Saudi Arabian side are ready to offer him a huge salary to lure him away from the Ligue1 side.

As per a report in Mundo Deportivo, Al Hilal want to get the better of rivals Al-Nassr, who recently signed Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star is reportedly earning €200 million a season, and Ramón Díaz is now willing to offer the Argentine €300 million per season.

Messi is yet to pen a new deal at PSG and will become a free agent in the summer if the French side do not trigger their option to extend his deal by another season. Barcelona are also keeping tabs on the forward, while Inter Miami are also keen on having him next season.

Al-Hilal are currently third in the table and are looking to close the gap on Al-Nassr, who are leading the table. They are keen to bolster their squad but are ready to wait for the summer window to lure Messi.

Lionel Messi backed to join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia

Racing driver Al-Attiyah has backed Lionel Messi to join Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. He believes that the Middle East country is keen on getting the best players in their league as they plan to bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

He said:

"It's difficult for Messi to go back to Barcelona after PSG. PSG are a rich club and they have a clear plan. What I think now is that an Arabian club will, in a few months, sign Messi. And I can tell you which one: I'm sure he'll go to Al-Hilal."

Al-Attiyah added:

"There's a lot of money here, and players are looking for a big contract. Saudi Arabia wants to host the World Cup. You've already seen in my country, the Qatar World Cup was incredible and now everyone is fighting for Arabia to win the 2030 World Cup bid. I think that they need big names in their league, so that more people come here and football improves with sights set on the World Cup."

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's rivalry took a backseat after the FIFA World Cup last year, but a move for Messi to Saudi Arabia could reignite the debate of the generation.