Famous journalist Ben Jacobs revealed Lionel Messi’s position on moving to the Saudi League after his contract with Inter Miami expires, noting that Real Madrid may pay the price for Messi’s final decision.
In recent days, Al-Ahly and Al-Hilal have entered advanced negotiations with Messi in an attempt to convince him to join the Roshen League, while Inter Miami is trying to renew the 37-year-old’s contract for two additional years.
According to Ben Jacobs, Messi is currently closer to staying with Inter Miami than moving to Saudi Arabia. A source within the American club confirmed this to the famous journalist Fabrizio Romano, regarding the mutual desire of both parties to renew Messi’s contract.
However, Real Madrid must be careful, as the Saudi Public Investment Fund is giving Al-Ahly priority in major deals and will seek to compensate for Messi’s failed transfer by bringing in one of the club’s stars, specifically Vinicius Junior.
Despite reports for more than a month about Vinicius Junior’s imminent contract renewal, the reality is that the contracts have not been signed, and there are some differences between the player and the club, particularly regarding salary. Al-Ahly could exploit this and bring the Brazilian to Jeddah.
The Saudi Investment Fund is willing to make Vinicius the highest-paid player in the world, and his annual salary is said to be as high as €200 million. Meanwhile, Real Madrid itself would not object to selling if it receives a substantial financial offer.
It’s worth noting that Vinicius has repeatedly expressed his desire to continue with Real Madrid, describing Los Blancos as “the club of his life.” However, his desire to receive more than €20 million annually is what has prevented him from officially renewing his contract so far.
