Messi's dad Jorge 'rumoured to be in Saudi to discuss his son joining Al-Hilal'

Lionel Messi's father Jorge is rumoured to be in Riyadh to hold talks with Al-Hilal about the possibility of his son joining the Saudi club in a deal that would see the Argentine star earn a staggering £245m-a-year.

Messi made a goalscoring return to action for PSG on Wednesday in his first match since winning the World Cup last month, but his club future remains uncertain.

His contract with the French champions is due to expire in June, and it has emerged that Al-Hilal are very keen to bring him to Saudi Arabia.

They would be willing to pay him $300m-a-year (£245m) to get a deal over the line, according to Mundo Deportivo.

It is believed that Messi would be open to the move, despite recent reports claiming he is closing in on extending his PSG deal until 2024.

Nasser Al-Attiyah, a relative of the Emir of Qatar, has further fuelled speculation that Messi will move to the Middle East after reportedly stating: 'Messi, his next club after his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, will be Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hilal are currently banned from adding players until the next transfer window, but they want Messi to sign now ahead of joining the club in the summer.

Messi's father has arrived in the Saudi capital to discuss the proposed move, as reported by The New Arab, which could see Messi renew his on-pitch rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo joined fellow Saudi side Al-Nassr last month, and will receive £175m-a-year during his time at the club.

Should Messi accept Al-Hilal's proposal, he would earn significantly more than Ronaldo, and would get the chance to play against his great rival once more.

Messi and Ronaldo competed against each other while playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively, between 2009 and 2018, as they established themselves as the two best players on the planet.

Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr appeared to have signalled the end of their rivalry, but Messi could now follow him to Al-Nassr.

Clashes between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are considered Saudi's equivalent of El Clasico, and seeing Messi and Ronaldo on opposite sides would only add extra spice to the occasion.

Messi and Ronaldo could play against one another when PSG travel to Riyadh to play an All-Star XI featuring players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal on January 19.

This could act as a dress rehearsal for future meetings between the iconic pair if Messi decides to end his time in Europe to take Al-Hilal's lucrative offer.