Lionel Messi reportedly turned down a 1.4 billion euro offer from Saudi Arabia before joining Inter Miami after leaving PSG. The president of Al-Ittihad, Anmar Al-Haili, revealed details of the offer made to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“We made him an offer of 1.4 billion euros. But he refused it because his family wanted to move to the United States,” said the Saudi leader, surprised that a player could turn down such a massive offer for the sake of his family. He added, “We respect that, as family is more important than money.”
In December, Messi had mentioned considering the possibility of joining the Saudi Pro League: “I had several options on the table. I had to analyze and think about them with my family before deciding to come to Miami. My first option was to return to Barcelona, but that wasn’t possible. I tried to come back but it didn’t happen. It’s true that afterward, I thought a lot about going to the Saudi league. I know the country, and they have created a very powerful competition that could become an important league in the near future.”
“As an ambassador of tourism in Saudi Arabia, it’s a destination that attracted me because I enjoyed everything I visited, but also because of the growth of football in the country and the efforts made to create a high-level competition. It was either Saudi Arabia or the MLS, and both options seemed interesting to me,” Messi had further explained.
The football transfer market is abuzz with activity as Neymar eyes a new club, and Nacho looks set to sign with a team in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly looking to strengthen Al Nassr by shopping at Real Madrid. The football world continues to be full of surprises and exciting developments as top players make important career decisions.