A Saudi Pro League club chief has taken aim at Lionel Messi in brutal fashion amid the superstar's uncertain future at Paris Saint-Germain.
The Argentine attacker is down to the last three months of his contract in the French capital, and it appears he has no shortage of potential suitors with a handful of clubs said to have expressed serious interest in him, in addition to PSG's attempts to have his stay at the Parc des Princes extended.
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FC Barcelona, Inter Miami, Inter Milan and Al Hilal are believed to be in the running for his signature, although Messi has reportedly ruled out the possibility of joining the latter.
Despite being a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia, the 35-year-old is believed to not be keen on playing in the Middle East, where his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo currently plies his trade with Al Nassr.
With reports in the Gulf State suggesting that the Saudi Pro League is desperate to bring more big names to their top flight, it appears that not everyone in the division is an admirer of the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner.
When Al-Tai chairman Turki Al Dhabaan was asked recently about making a move for Messi, he aimed a cheeky jibe at the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner for his performance against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie, in which the player struggled to make an impact as the French side failed to score across both legs, resulting in their elimination from the competition.
"I do not want to sign a world-class player in my team who is saturated and watches the match from the stadium, like Messi in front of Bayern Munich," Al Dhabaan told Saudi Arabian TV channel SBC.
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Despite Al Dhabaan's misgivings, though, Messi is arguably back to his best this season, having contributed to 35 goals in 32 matches across all competitions for PSG so far.
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