Talks with Messi’s representatives, led by his father Jorge, are underway for when the player becomes a free agent at the end of June upon the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract. There are discussions that the whole package could be worth $400 million annually (£320 million) that would exceed even the £165 million that Cristiano Ronaldo is being paid annually to play in Saudi until the summer of 2025.
The conventional process for signing the world’s top talent, as with Ronaldo in December, has been for deals to have state involvement before a final destination club is decided.
The Saudi government has recruited the former Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook, who was in charge of the club when the Abu Dhabi takeover was completed in 2008, in a similar position in the Saudi Pro League. It is anticipated that he will be involved in any discussions to secure Messi’s signature.
