Saudi Arabian giants’ sponsor make advertisment ‘welcoming Messi’

Three months after he led Argentina to a World Cup triumph, the future of Lionel Messi continues to be a subject of discussion in the world of football, with his current contract at Paris Saint-Germain expiring at the end of the season.

Barcelona are among the clubs in contention to sign Messi in the coming summer, while a renewal at PSG has not been ruled out either. The general belief is that the attacker will continue in Europe for at least another year, as he eyes his eighth Ballon d’Or title.

Another year of Europe means Messi is likely to knock back offers from elsewhere. Saudi Arabian clubs, for example, have approached the Argentine over a summer move while Major League Soccer clubs are also harbouring the hope of roping in the little magician.

❗An official Al-Hilal sponsor has just tweeted an ad saying “Welcome, our boy”, featuring a Leo Messi graphic and a ‘M10’ discount code.

Al-Hilal is one of the clubs reportedly interested in signing Messi in the summer. pic.twitter.com/0017JSWmU4

— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) March 21, 2023

However, in a shocker, one of the sponsors of Al-Hilal – a major club in Saudi Arabia – has recently posted a cryptic tweet featuring the silhouette graphic of Lionel Messi, announcing a 10% discount with the code “M10”.

Al-Hilal are one of the two biggest clubs in Saudi, along with Al-Nassr, which made headlines this year by signing Cristiano Ronaldo.

Al-Hilal have been linked with moves for Messi in the past, even reportedly offering the Argentine a bumper contract and full tax exemption.

The ad from one of Al-Hilal’s official sponsors, therefore, is quite a significant development, as far as Messi’s transfer saga is concerned. However, most peers in Europe will likely take this with a grain of salt, considering the fact that media reports profoundly point at an extended spell in the continent for the Argentine international.