Lionel Messi turned down €1.4 billion offer for MLS move

In June 2023, it was announced that the greatest football player of all time, Lionel Messi, would leave Paris Saint-Germain after spending two years at the club.

Despite scoring 21 goals and 20 assists in his final season for the French club, fans turned against the Argentine winger, leading head coach Christophe Galtier to announce that the club would not extend the Argentine’s contract. Messi.

Rumors immediately began to circulate that the World Cup winner would join his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in signing for a club in the Saudi Pro League.

Instead, Messi opted to sign a two-year contract with American team Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer club owned by David Beckham.

But it has now been revealed that an official offer to join the Saudi league had been submitted to Messi, and he was offered a whopping €1.4 billion.

Anmar Al Haili, president of Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, revealed details of the deal, saying: “We actually contacted Messi at the end of his contract in Paris.

“We presented him with an offer of 1.4 billion euros, but the player refused because his family wanted America.

“It was a surprise how the player could refuse such a huge offer for the sake of his family. It was possible to convince his family, but he did not hesitate to refuse.

“We respect that, because family is more important than money”

If Messi had accepted Al Hilal’s proposal, he would have reunited with his former teammate Neymar Jr, with whom he played at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

The forward line would be completed by Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who left Premier League club Fulham for Saudi Arabia at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Since signing for Inter Miami, Messi has been joined by several more of his former teammates, including Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, who he played with during his 14 years at Barcelona.

Messi made 18 appearances for Inter Miami, scoring 13 goals and registering an impressive 15 assists.

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Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, David Beckham, Transfer News, Football, MLS, Luis Suarez, Saudi Pro League, Neymar