Lionel Messi is considering a transfer to Saudi Arabia club Al Hilal, the rival of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, a source familiar with the negotiations revealed to ESPN on Wednesday.

Although a move back to Barcelona appeared more likely for Messi, it now seems more probable that the 35-year-old player will move to Saudi Arabia, where he heads the Visit Saudi tourism campaign.

The revelation comes after it was reported that Messi is unlikely to extend his contract at PSG. The contract which he signed in 2021 is set to expire at the end of the current season.

While FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has expressed his interest in bringing Messi back to the Camp Nou, his team’s financial problems make it increasingly unlikely for the Catalan club to sign Messi this summer.

Inter Miami has also been in the mix, offering Messi the opportunity to take his career to the United States. While the MLS club has been involved in long-term negotiations with the Messi camp, it remains unlikely that they will be able to compete financially with any offers out of the Saudi Pro League.

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Star forward Lionel Messi and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain reportedly failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension. French media outlet L’Equipe reported on Tuesday that this would likely lead to Messi’s departure from the club in the summer.

Messi is playing in the final year of his contract with PSG and is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season. He has been negotiating a new deal with the French club for several months now, but the talks met a standstill recently.

The biggest issue, according to L’Equipe is that PSG wants Messi to take a 25% pay cut on his current annual salary of €40 million. But the player has shown unwillingness to agree to less money so far, and there is little hope this can be resolved.

Messi now seems open to listening to offers from other clubs. The proposed return to Barcelona doesn’t seem to be in the cards for the 35-year-old, considering the club’s financial situation, but several European powerhouses are believed to be keen on the Argentinean superstar. He is also expected to have lucrative offers from Major League Soccer and Saudi Arabia.

Lionel Messi led Argentina’s national team to a World Cup title last year but has failed to replicate his form from the tournament in PSG’s jersey. This was especially the case in the UEFA Champions League, where PSG was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Bayern Munich while failing to score a single goal. Messi has 18 goals and 17 assists in 33 matches played in all competitions for the French club this season. 

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FC Barcelona vice president Rafa Yuste confirmed on Friday that the Catalan club has contacted Lionel Messi to explore a potential return of the Argentina star to Camp Nou in the summer. This comes after much media speculation over Messi’s future and whether or not he would depart PSG at the end of his current contract.

After famously leaving Barcelona in an emotional farewell ceremony to the club in 2021, Messi signed with reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris-Saint Germain as a free agent. While his PSG contract includes an option to extend for another season, Messi has so far not chosen to activate this option.

“Leo [Messi] and his family know the affection I have for them,” Yuste said during a press conference on Friday for the Barca Academy World Cup. “I participated in the negotiations that unfortunately did not lead to a successful conclusion. Of course, I would love for him to come back, for what it could represent at a sporting, social, and economic level. We are in contact with them, yes.”

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FC Barcelona manager Xavi expressed his openness to allowing Lionel Messi to return to Camp Nou after rumors reemerged regarding a potential transfer back to Barcelona in the summer transfer window.

“This is his home and the door is always open,” Xavi stated during a news conference leading up to Barcelona’s Europa League playoff clash with Manchester United. Having drawn 2-2 with the Red Devils in the first game, Barca will have to win this match in order to progress.

“[Messi] is a friend and we are in permanent contact. It depends on what he wants for his future and how the club see it. He is the best player in the world and the best ever. He would always fit [the team],” Xavi continued.

Messi’s current contract with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire at the end of the season. While PSG is eager to secure a new deal to keep Messi at the club, rumors emerged of Messi’s father and agent, Jorge Messi, meeting with Barcelona President Joan Laporta.

In addition to the possibility of a Barcelona return, several other clubs have expressed their interest in signing Messi, including new additions to the MLS Inter Miami CF and several clubs in the Saudi Pro League.

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Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reiterated his desire for Lionel Messi to return to the Catalan club in an interview with ESPN. Although Barca manager Xavi has labeled this transfer as being “impossible” at present, there is the potential of a return to the club next summer when his contract with PSG is set to expire.

“I was co-responsible for an ending that I consider provisional. Messi’s story at Barca did not end as we all wanted, it ended conditioned by financial reasons and we have a moral debt to him,” Laporta admitted during the interview.

Messi’s departure from his lifelong club came as a result of Barcelona’s financial woes and consequential inability to renew Messi’s contract with the club. Currently, Barcelona is facing a gross debt of over €1 billion, however, the €600 million sale of 25% of the club’s domestic television rights for the next 25 years has enabled the team to invest in an array of new signings, including Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde.

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After it became clear that Barcelona couldn’t sign Lionel Messi to a new contract due to their alarming financial situation, some fans of the Catalan club secretly believed the player’s love for Barca is so strong that he might consider playing for free. And it appears they were not alone.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently spoke about Messi’s exit during an interview with radio station RAC1 and admitted he also had hopes that the Argentinian star forward could take pro-bono approach.

“I hoped Messi would do a u-turn and he would say he would play for free,” said Laporta. “I would have liked that and I would have been all for it. It is my understanding La Liga would have accepted it. But we cannot ask a player of Messi’s stature to do this.”

Understandably, Messi didn’t consider staying in Spain and playing without salary, and instead bolted for France where he again became one of the highest-paid players in the world after inking a deal with Paris Saint-Germain. The 34-year-old superstar has since played five matches with PSG and has one goal to show for.

It was recently revealed that there was another route Barcelona could take to keep Messi. The La Liga offered the club to sell 10 percent of their commercial business to an investment fund CVC Capital Partners for the next 50 years. This would have helped Barca to get out of debt and have enough funds to re-sign Messi, but they ended up rejecting the proposal.

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Lionel Messi, considered one of the best soccer players in history, is ending his stint with his boyhood club Barcelona. Messi is moving on after more than 20 years and is expected to sign with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.

According to multiple reports, Messi and PSG already have a deal in place and are expected to finalize the details at some point this week. The 34-year-old Argentinian will reportedly ink a two-year deal with the French club while also holding an option to extend it for one more year.

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

In a shocking statement, Barcelona confirmed last week that Messi, who saw his contract expire in June, won’t return to the club. Despite the two sides having a new deal in place and Messi accepting a significant pay cut, the agreement couldn’t be finalized due to the Catalan club’s financial problems and La Liga’s salary cap constraints.

Messi also confirmed the news during an emotional press conference over the weekend in which he admitted that he doesn’t want to leave the club.

“I am really sad because I didn’t want to leave because this is the club I love,” said Messi. “I didn’t expect this. I have never lied; I have always been honest and upfront. Last year I wanted to leave; this year I didn’t. That’s why I am so sad.”

During his time with Barcelona, Leo Messi scored 672 goals in 778 games. He also helped the club win 34 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues.

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Barcelona’s struggles in 2020-21 continued on Sunday as they suffered a 2-3 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup finals. The defeat not only extended the club’s trophy drought but also saw superstar forward Lionel Messi receive his first red card in a Barca jersey.

Barcelona opened the match on a positive note, with Antoine Griezmann scoring in the 40th minute. Bilbao struck back two minutes later, with Oscar De Marcos converting Inaki Williams’ cross to make it level before halftime.

Griezmann was once more the difference-maker in the 77th minute, netting his second goal and seemingly giving the Catalan club the win.

But sub Asier Villalibre denied Barca from claiming their 14th Spanish Super Cup trophy in the 90th minute, delivering a beautiful volley and sending the game to extra time.

Bilbao needed just three minutes in the extra time to take the lead, as Williams scored a stunning curler from the top of the penalty box.

Barcelona immediately dialed up their attack and tried to get a quick response. Still, all their attempts failed short and caused major frustration among the players.

Even ever-cool Messi lost his temper towards the end of the game, hitting Villalibre with his elbow during one duel and being sent-off. The 33-year-old Argentine previously played 753 matches for Barcelona without receiving a red card.

Without their best player on the pitch, Barca couldn’t mount a comeback, and Bilbao secured their second Super Cup win in the last six years and third overall.

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Cristiano Ronaldo missed Juventus’ recent UEFA Champions League match against Barcelona due to a positive coronavirus test, but that didn’t stop the La Liga side’s social media team from taking a jab at him.

After Barca got a 2:0 win in Turin, the club’s social media page sent out a tweet reading: “We are glad you were able to see the real goat (emoji) on your pitch @juventusfcen!,” while attaching a picture of Lionel Messi.

This was an obvious joke at Ronaldo’s expense, considering he is Lionel Messi’s greatest rival for the title of greatest of all time AKA “GOAT.”

But, Barca sure didn’t expect an equally effective comeback.

Juventus quickly responded by tweeting: “You probably looked it up in the wrong dictionary. We’ll bring you the right one at Camp Nou.”

This certainly entertained the social media users and sparked the Ronaldo vs. Messi debate that died out a bit since the Portuguese superstar left Real Madrid. It is hard to believe that the debate will ever be settled since both players have great credentials, but at least we can enjoy the process.

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Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has changed his mind about leaving La Liga giants Barcelona. Despite recently informing the club that he wants out, Messi now told Goal.com in a video interview on Friday that he’ll be staying at Camp Nou.

Messi and his representatives previously attempted to terminate his contract with Barca, claiming that the exit clause in the deal allows the 33-year-old forward to leave for free at the end of the season. The Spanish club, on the other side, argued that the clause was valid only until the end of June and said that the only way he can leave is if someone pays his $700 million release clause. 

Since La Liga sided with Barca, Messi would have to pursue his rights via legal actions. After thinking things over, he ultimately decided he doesn’t want to go down that route. 

“I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived,” Messi told Goal. “It is the club of my life, I have made my life here. Barca gave me everything, and I gave it everything. I know that it never crossed my mind to take Barca to court.”

In the interview, Messi also talked about several other topics, including his frustration with failures this past season. Check it out below.

Lionel Messi has one year left on his contract and is set to become a free agent next summer. It remains to be seen whether he decides to say goodbye to Barca then or the club manages to convince him to sign an extension.

Barca is scheduled to enter the 2020/21 season with a re-built roster with several veterans, including Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic leaving the club. The Catalan powerhouse also made a change in the managerial position, hiring former club legend Ronald Koeman.

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Lionel Messi is considering a transfer to Saudi Arabia club Al Hilal, the rival of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, a source familiar with the negotiations revealed to ESPN on Wednesday.

Although a move back to Barcelona appeared more likely for Messi, it now seems more probable that the 35-year-old player will move to Saudi Arabia, where he heads the Visit Saudi tourism campaign.

The revelation comes after it was reported that Messi is unlikely to extend his contract at PSG. The contract which he signed in 2021 is set to expire at the end of the current season.

While FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has expressed his interest in bringing Messi back to the Camp Nou, his team’s financial problems make it increasingly unlikely for the Catalan club to sign Messi this summer.

Inter Miami has also been in the mix, offering Messi the opportunity to take his career to the United States. While the MLS club has been involved in long-term negotiations with the Messi camp, it remains unlikely that they will be able to compete financially with any offers out of the Saudi Pro League.

The post Messi Move to Saudi Arabia Increasing Likely, Sources Claim appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Star forward Lionel Messi and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain reportedly failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension. French media outlet L’Equipe reported on Tuesday that this would likely lead to Messi’s departure from the club in the summer.

Messi is playing in the final year of his contract with PSG and is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season. He has been negotiating a new deal with the French club for several months now, but the talks met a standstill recently.

The biggest issue, according to L’Equipe is that PSG wants Messi to take a 25% pay cut on his current annual salary of €40 million. But the player has shown unwillingness to agree to less money so far, and there is little hope this can be resolved.

Messi now seems open to listening to offers from other clubs. The proposed return to Barcelona doesn’t seem to be in the cards for the 35-year-old, considering the club’s financial situation, but several European powerhouses are believed to be keen on the Argentinean superstar. He is also expected to have lucrative offers from Major League Soccer and Saudi Arabia.

Lionel Messi led Argentina’s national team to a World Cup title last year but has failed to replicate his form from the tournament in PSG’s jersey. This was especially the case in the UEFA Champions League, where PSG was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Bayern Munich while failing to score a single goal. Messi has 18 goals and 17 assists in 33 matches played in all competitions for the French club this season. 

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FC Barcelona vice president Rafa Yuste confirmed on Friday that the Catalan club has contacted Lionel Messi to explore a potential return of the Argentina star to Camp Nou in the summer. This comes after much media speculation over Messi’s future and whether or not he would depart PSG at the end of his current contract.

After famously leaving Barcelona in an emotional farewell ceremony to the club in 2021, Messi signed with reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris-Saint Germain as a free agent. While his PSG contract includes an option to extend for another season, Messi has so far not chosen to activate this option.

“Leo [Messi] and his family know the affection I have for them,” Yuste said during a press conference on Friday for the Barca Academy World Cup. “I participated in the negotiations that unfortunately did not lead to a successful conclusion. Of course, I would love for him to come back, for what it could represent at a sporting, social, and economic level. We are in contact with them, yes.”

The post FC Barcelona Confirms Club’s Interest In Signing Messi appeared first on SportzBonanza.

FC Barcelona manager Xavi expressed his openness to allowing Lionel Messi to return to Camp Nou after rumors reemerged regarding a potential transfer back to Barcelona in the summer transfer window.

“This is his home and the door is always open,” Xavi stated during a news conference leading up to Barcelona’s Europa League playoff clash with Manchester United. Having drawn 2-2 with the Red Devils in the first game, Barca will have to win this match in order to progress.

“[Messi] is a friend and we are in permanent contact. It depends on what he wants for his future and how the club see it. He is the best player in the world and the best ever. He would always fit [the team],” Xavi continued.

Messi’s current contract with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire at the end of the season. While PSG is eager to secure a new deal to keep Messi at the club, rumors emerged of Messi’s father and agent, Jorge Messi, meeting with Barcelona President Joan Laporta.

In addition to the possibility of a Barcelona return, several other clubs have expressed their interest in signing Messi, including new additions to the MLS Inter Miami CF and several clubs in the Saudi Pro League.

The post Xavi Expresses Willingness to Bring Messi Back to Barcelona appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reiterated his desire for Lionel Messi to return to the Catalan club in an interview with ESPN. Although Barca manager Xavi has labeled this transfer as being “impossible” at present, there is the potential of a return to the club next summer when his contract with PSG is set to expire.

“I was co-responsible for an ending that I consider provisional. Messi’s story at Barca did not end as we all wanted, it ended conditioned by financial reasons and we have a moral debt to him,” Laporta admitted during the interview.

Messi’s departure from his lifelong club came as a result of Barcelona’s financial woes and consequential inability to renew Messi’s contract with the club. Currently, Barcelona is facing a gross debt of over €1 billion, however, the €600 million sale of 25% of the club’s domestic television rights for the next 25 years has enabled the team to invest in an array of new signings, including Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde.

The post Barcelona President Seeks Messi Return Despite Club’s Financial Woes appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After it became clear that Barcelona couldn’t sign Lionel Messi to a new contract due to their alarming financial situation, some fans of the Catalan club secretly believed the player’s love for Barca is so strong that he might consider playing for free. And it appears they were not alone.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently spoke about Messi’s exit during an interview with radio station RAC1 and admitted he also had hopes that the Argentinian star forward could take pro-bono approach.

“I hoped Messi would do a u-turn and he would say he would play for free,” said Laporta. “I would have liked that and I would have been all for it. It is my understanding La Liga would have accepted it. But we cannot ask a player of Messi’s stature to do this.”

Understandably, Messi didn’t consider staying in Spain and playing without salary, and instead bolted for France where he again became one of the highest-paid players in the world after inking a deal with Paris Saint-Germain. The 34-year-old superstar has since played five matches with PSG and has one goal to show for.

It was recently revealed that there was another route Barcelona could take to keep Messi. The La Liga offered the club to sell 10 percent of their commercial business to an investment fund CVC Capital Partners for the next 50 years. This would have helped Barca to get out of debt and have enough funds to re-sign Messi, but they ended up rejecting the proposal.

The post Barca President Hoped Lionel Messi Would Play for Free appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Lionel Messi, considered one of the best soccer players in history, is ending his stint with his boyhood club Barcelona. Messi is moving on after more than 20 years and is expected to sign with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.

According to multiple reports, Messi and PSG already have a deal in place and are expected to finalize the details at some point this week. The 34-year-old Argentinian will reportedly ink a two-year deal with the French club while also holding an option to extend it for one more year.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

In a shocking statement, Barcelona confirmed last week that Messi, who saw his contract expire in June, won’t return to the club. Despite the two sides having a new deal in place and Messi accepting a significant pay cut, the agreement couldn’t be finalized due to the Catalan club’s financial problems and La Liga’s salary cap constraints.

Messi also confirmed the news during an emotional press conference over the weekend in which he admitted that he doesn’t want to leave the club.

“I am really sad because I didn’t want to leave because this is the club I love,” said Messi. “I didn’t expect this. I have never lied; I have always been honest and upfront. Last year I wanted to leave; this year I didn’t. That’s why I am so sad.”

During his time with Barcelona, Leo Messi scored 672 goals in 778 games. He also helped the club win 34 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues.

The post Lionel Messi Set to Join PSG after Barca Exit appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Barcelona’s struggles in 2020-21 continued on Sunday as they suffered a 2-3 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup finals. The defeat not only extended the club’s trophy drought but also saw superstar forward Lionel Messi receive his first red card in a Barca jersey.

Barcelona opened the match on a positive note, with Antoine Griezmann scoring in the 40th minute. Bilbao struck back two minutes later, with Oscar De Marcos converting Inaki Williams’ cross to make it level before halftime.

Griezmann was once more the difference-maker in the 77th minute, netting his second goal and seemingly giving the Catalan club the win.

But sub Asier Villalibre denied Barca from claiming their 14th Spanish Super Cup trophy in the 90th minute, delivering a beautiful volley and sending the game to extra time.

Bilbao needed just three minutes in the extra time to take the lead, as Williams scored a stunning curler from the top of the penalty box.

Barcelona immediately dialed up their attack and tried to get a quick response. Still, all their attempts failed short and caused major frustration among the players.

Even ever-cool Messi lost his temper towards the end of the game, hitting Villalibre with his elbow during one duel and being sent-off. The 33-year-old Argentine previously played 753 matches for Barcelona without receiving a red card.

Without their best player on the pitch, Barca couldn’t mount a comeback, and Bilbao secured their second Super Cup win in the last six years and third overall.

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Cristiano Ronaldo missed Juventus’ recent UEFA Champions League match against Barcelona due to a positive coronavirus test, but that didn’t stop the La Liga side’s social media team from taking a jab at him.

After Barca got a 2:0 win in Turin, the club’s social media page sent out a tweet reading: “We are glad you were able to see the real goat (emoji) on your pitch @juventusfcen!,” while attaching a picture of Lionel Messi.

This was an obvious joke at Ronaldo’s expense, considering he is Lionel Messi’s greatest rival for the title of greatest of all time AKA “GOAT.”

But, Barca sure didn’t expect an equally effective comeback.

Juventus quickly responded by tweeting: “You probably looked it up in the wrong dictionary. We’ll bring you the right one at Camp Nou.”

This certainly entertained the social media users and sparked the Ronaldo vs. Messi debate that died out a bit since the Portuguese superstar left Real Madrid. It is hard to believe that the debate will ever be settled since both players have great credentials, but at least we can enjoy the process.

The post Barcelona and Juventus Exchange Social Media Jabs over Messi and Ronaldo appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has changed his mind about leaving La Liga giants Barcelona. Despite recently informing the club that he wants out, Messi now told Goal.com in a video interview on Friday that he’ll be staying at Camp Nou.

Messi and his representatives previously attempted to terminate his contract with Barca, claiming that the exit clause in the deal allows the 33-year-old forward to leave for free at the end of the season. The Spanish club, on the other side, argued that the clause was valid only until the end of June and said that the only way he can leave is if someone pays his $700 million release clause. 

Since La Liga sided with Barca, Messi would have to pursue his rights via legal actions. After thinking things over, he ultimately decided he doesn’t want to go down that route. 

“I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived,” Messi told Goal. “It is the club of my life, I have made my life here. Barca gave me everything, and I gave it everything. I know that it never crossed my mind to take Barca to court.”

In the interview, Messi also talked about several other topics, including his frustration with failures this past season. Check it out below.

Lionel Messi has one year left on his contract and is set to become a free agent next summer. It remains to be seen whether he decides to say goodbye to Barca then or the club manages to convince him to sign an extension.

Barca is scheduled to enter the 2020/21 season with a re-built roster with several veterans, including Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic leaving the club. The Catalan powerhouse also made a change in the managerial position, hiring former club legend Ronald Koeman.

The post Lionel Messi Changes His Mind, Now Wants to Stay at Barcelona appeared first on SportzBonanza.