Al-Hilal set to make offer for PSG midfielder in attempt to tempt Lionel Messi into Saudi Arabia move: Reports

Saudi Arabian giants Al-Hilal are set to make an offer for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) midfielder Marco Verratti to convince Lionel Messi to join them. This report comes from French journalist Mohamed Bouhafsi.

Messi faces an uncertain future with Les Parisiens as his contract ends this summer. Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the forward is certain to leave the club as a free agent at the end of the season.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will certainly not be short of options when he leaves PSG. In fact, Messi has already received a mouthwatering offer from Al-Hilal to move to Saudi Arabia.

It has been widely reported that Al-Hilal have offered the Argentinian a contract worth over €400 million. The deal would see Messi become the highest-paid player in the world, eclipsing the €200 million a year salary that Cristiano Ronaldo receives at Al-Nassr.

However, there have been suggestions that Messi prefers to continue playing in Europe. A return to Barcelona has thus been mooted as a realistic option for the five-time Ballon d'Or.

Al-Hilal, though, reportedly do not intend to give up yet as they are prepared to bend over backward to sign Lionel Messi. According to the aforementioned source, they have come up with a new plan to tempt the icon into moving to the Middle East.

The Saudi Pro League giants have reportedly made offers to Messi's friends Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. The former is contracted to Barcelona until next year, while the latter's deal with the Blaugrana runs out this summer.

Furthermore, Al-Za'eem are also preparing an offer for the forward's PSG teammate Verratti, as per the report. Unlike Alba and Busquets, the Italian is only 30 years old and has a contract with the Parisians until 2026.

Al-Hilal will have to negotiate a transfer fee with Les Parisiens to sign Verratti. The midfielder, though, is said to be considering leaving the French giants this summer.

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PSG superstar Lionel Messi not sold on Saudi Arabia move

It is evident that Al-Hilal are hell-bent on signing Lionel Messi this summer. However, despite all their efforts, the Argentinian is still not sold on the idea of moving to Saudi Arabia.

According to Gerard Romero (h/t @ReshadRahman_ on Twitter), the PSG talisman has doubts about going to the Middle East due to cultural reasons. He is also concerned about his children being able to settle there.

Hence, it remains to be seen if Al-Hilal can convince Lionel Messi to change his mind in the coming weeks. Barcelona and Inter Miami are also interested in signing the superstar.