Lionel Messi’s mammoth £2billion deal with Al-Hilal ‘will be announced on TUESDAY’

Saudi Arabian side Al-Hillal are reportedly set to announce the signing of Lionel Messi on Tuesday, June 6, after Paris Saint-Germain confirmed his exit from the Ligue 1 club.  

PSG confirmed that Messi will depart the Ligue 1 winners at the end of the season, with this afternoon’s match against Clermont Foot marking his final outing at the Parc des Princes.

Messi had been linked with a sensational return to Barcelona, but sources close to Al-Hillal say a deal with the 35-year-old will be confirmed on Tuesday – according to Spanish news outlet, SPORT. 

A source close to the Saudi Arabian club say Al-Hilal are expecting a ‘definitive yes’ on June 6 and that they have ‘prepared all of the necessary paperwork’ to announce his signing on the same day. 

PSG manager Christophe Galtier confirmed in a press conference on Thursday afternoon that the World Cup winner will depart, with Saudi Arabia linked as one of his potential destinations. 

‘Clermont Foot will be Messi’s final game at PSG,’ said Galtier. ‘I had the privilege of coaching the best player in the history of football. It will be Leo’s last match at the Parc des Princes.’

Messi joined PSG after a financial tug of war with Barcelona in 2021 and has won a pair of Ligue 1 titles, though the Parisians have not got any closer to winning the Champions League crown they so desire.

The 35-year-old hinted that leaving Barcelona allowed him to mature as a player and some suggest that leaving his comfort zone allowed him to develop the leadership qualities he displayed in winning the Qatar World Cup in December.

Messi had been linked with making a sensational return to Barcelona. He has also been linked with a move to Inter Miami. However, Saudi Arabian side Al-Hillal are confident in signing the 35-year-old. 

More to follow…