Al Ahli open talks to sign Lionel Messi from Inter Miami | OneFootball

Al Ahli have opened talks to sign Lionel Messi from Inter Miami, L’Equipe reports.

The Saudi Arabian giants are preparing a bold move for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner when his contract with Miami runs out in December.

Al Ahli are one of four clubs backed by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Funds (PIF), and this is part of their ongoing push to bring the biggest names in football to the Saudi Pro League.

Having just tied Cristiano Ronaldo to a new two-year deal, PIF have set their sights on Messi, with Al Ahli reportedly ready to pull out all the stops to make it happen.

This isn’t the first time Saudi Arabia have tried to sign the former Barcelona superstar.

Back in the summer of 2023, the PIF made a strong move to lure Messi to the Middle East after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired. However, he decided to join David Beckham’s Miami side.

He has since linked up with former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez and has established himself as the face of the league.

However, with just six months left on his current deal, the door is open for PIF to try again, and Al Ahli are pushing to get a deal over the line.

Officials from the Asian Champions League winners have reportedly been working behind the scenes for weeks to convince Messi to join the club.

The financial package on offer is still being kept under wraps. There are reports that Messi is happy in Miami, but it’s clear that Al Ahli will spare no expense to lure Messi to the Middle East.

The 38-year-old has been sensational since joining Miami. He has scored 52 times in 64 games for the Major League Soccer (MLS) side, becoming the club’s all-time record goalscorer.

His 25 assists in Miami colours also rank him as the joint-highest top assist provider (alongside Suarez) in the club’s history.

Messi has notched 18 goals and seven assists in 25 games for Miami this season. His 12 goals in the MLS have pushed Miami to 10th on the table, en route to a place in the play-offs.