Al-Hilal to Offer Lionel Messi €220m per year Deal To Replace Ronaldo as the face of Saudi Arabian Football

Al-Hilal are reportedly set to offer Lionel Messi a €220 million per year deal to match the package Al-Nassr gave Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo set sail for the Saudi Pro League in December after mutually terminating his contract at Manchester United before the 2022 World Cup. The 38-year-old is set to earn a whopping £177m per year ($215m) at Al-Nassr, according to AFP, while also moving into an ambassador role after his playing career ends in 2024.

Now, according to Marca, Al-Nassr's fierce rivals Al-Hilal are preparing a similar offer for Messi as they attempt to lure the Argentine to Riyadh from Paris Saint-Germain. Al-Hilal are currently serving a transfer ban, but will be free to sign Messi in the summer, and the Saudi government is also prepared to change salary cap laws to facilitate the arrival of the World Cup winner.

Messi's contract with PSG ends in the summer and although renewal talks have been progressing, a final agreement has not yet been put in place. A free transfer to the Middle East could, therefore, be a viable option for Messi, who is already Saudi Arabia's Tourism Ambassador and has travelled to the Gulf country on numerous occasions for promotional activities.

Al-Hilal want Messi to replace Ronaldo as the face of Saudi Arabian football and would even be willing to bring him on board on an initial one-year contract. Meanwhile, Jorge Messi, his father and agent, was spotted in Riyadh on Tuesday to add fuel to the ongoing transfer speculation.