{"id":295041,"date":"2023-05-10T02:13:12","date_gmt":"2023-05-10T02:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=295041"},"modified":"2023-05-10T05:59:01","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T05:59:01","slug":"fresh-twist-after-record-811m-messi-deal-reported","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=295041","title":{"rendered":"Fresh twist after record $811m Messi deal reported"},"content":{"rendered":"

With speculation over Lionel Messi<\/a>\u2019s potential next destination turning into a frenzy, his father has intervened to say no deal has been agreed over a move to Saudi Arabia or return to Barcelona<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Messi's contract with Paris Saint-Germain<\/a> runs until the end of June, and his father Jorge Messi said nothing will be decided before PSG's season finishes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are always rumours and many use the name of Lionel to gain notoriety but there\u2019s only one truth and we can assure you that there is nothing with anyone," Jorge posted on his Instagram account.<\/p>\n

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\"Argentina's<\/p>\n

"Neither verbal, nor signed, nor agreed, and there won\u2019t be anything until the end of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

This week the guessing game over where the World Cup winner from Argentina<\/a> will play next season has escalated.<\/p>\n

Staying at PSG seems the most unlikely outcome, while Inter Miami in Major League Soccer<\/a> is also chasing the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.<\/p>\n

French media earlier reported that Messi has a verbal deal with an unnamed Saudi club, a move that would put him back in the same league as Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a>. But one football transfer gossip specialist, Fabrizio Romano, was quick to update his 14.6 million followers on Twitter that there will be no decision until after the season.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1655886807815340032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw<\/a><\/p>\n

Jorge Messi validated that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s absolutely no agreement with any club for next season," he wrote in an Instagram story.<\/p>\n

League leader PSG has four games left before it ends its campaign at home to Clermont.<\/p>\n

Messi has scored 15 league goals so far and tops the charts with 15 assists.<\/p>\n

Both Barcelona and Al Hilal want Messi, who turns 36 next month and also wants to keep playing for Argentina.<\/p>\n

Watch Erling Haaland, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric in the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League,<\/strong><\/em> streaming ad free, live and exclusive on Stan Sport<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

South American qualifying for the 2026 men's World Cup starts in September, with Argentina at home against Ecuador.<\/p>\n

Messi's trip last week to Saudi Arabia \u2014 and subsequent suspension by PSG<\/a> for the unauthorised absence \u2014 has reignited talk he will play in the Middle Eastern country if he leaves the French capital as expected.<\/p>\n

One French media report claimed Messi has agreed to a massive deal with an unnamed Saudi club worth at least 500 million euros (just under $811 million).<\/p>\n

\"Lionel<\/p>\n

Messi was linked with a move to Riyadh-based Saudi club Al Hilal last month, the same city where Ronaldo's team, Al Nassr, is located.<\/p>\n

PSG declined to comment when asked by The Associated Press if there is an agreement in place for Messi to exit the club.<\/p>\n

Messi faced off against against Ronaldo in January in an exhibition game in Riyadh, with the Qatari-owned PSG facing a combined team from Al Nassr and Al Hilal.<\/p>\n

Ronaldo\u2019s arrival has already boosted Saudi Arabia\u2019s football profile in the Middle East in a regional rivalry fueled by Qatar hosting last year's World Cup.<\/p>\n

Having Messi playing against Ronaldo would do even more for the country as Saudi Arabia prepares to stage the Club World Cup for the first time in December.<\/p>\n

Messi returned to training with PSG this week<\/a> after the club lifted his suspension following the promotional trip to Saudi Arabia. He missed practice last week, the day after PSG's 3-1 loss to Lorient.<\/p>\n

Messi subsequently apologised to the club and his teammates for travelling without PSG\u2019s permission.<\/p>\n

Messi joined PSG on a two-year deal after tearfully leaving financially stricken Barcelona against his will in 2021, with an option for an extra year in Paris if both parties agreed. His contract runs until the end of June, but talks about extending reportedly broke down, making Messi\u2019s exit seem inevitable.<\/p>\n

\"Messi<\/p>\n

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez, who is poised to lead his team to the Spanish league title this season, has openly said he wants his former teammate to come back.<\/p>\n

Barcelona is the club closest to the heart of Messi and his family. They moved to Spain in 2001 and Messi scored 672 goals \u2014 including an extraordinary 50-goal league season in 2012 \u2014 and won four Champions League trophies with Barcelona among a glittering array of silverware.<\/p>\n

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is also eagre to bring Messi back but must overcome the club's severe debts and restrictions imposed by the Spanish league.<\/p>\n

Barcelona's return to the Champions League could also be affected by an ongoing UEFA<\/a> investigation into payments of millions of dollars over more than a decade to a company linked to a Spanish refereeing official. No evidence of suspected match-fixing has yet emerged.<\/p>\n

Playing in Saudi Arabia would lessen the wear and tear on Messi\u2019s body while also offering lower-quality games ahead of World Cup qualifying and the 2024 Copa America in the United States, with Argentina the defending champion.<\/p>\n

\ufeffFor a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by<\/strong><\/em> clicking here<\/strong><\/em><\/a>!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With speculation over Lionel Messi\u2019s potential next destination turning into a frenzy, his father has intervened to say no deal has been agreed over a […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":295043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295041"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=295041"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":295047,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295041\/revisions\/295047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/295043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=295041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=295041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=295041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}