Fans blast Messi after reports £522MILLION move to Saudi Arabia is agreed

Fans have piled criticism on Lionel Messi after reports he has agreed a giant £522million move to Saudi Arabia.

Mail Sport reported on Tuesday morning that Messi's transfer to Saudi side Al-Hilal is a 'done deal', according to AFP.

The Argentine World Cup winner is set to leave Paris Saint-Germain when his contract expires this summer.

And the 35-year-old veteran seems poised to spurn offers from all over the world and make a mega-money move to the Middle East to renew his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, who is at Al-Nassr.

The transfer would be controversial because of the Gulf state's highly questionable record on human and gay rights, their implication in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, frequent executions in the country, and accusations of 'sportswashing'.

Football supporters quickly took to social media to express their disapproval of the hugely lucrative move.

One tweeted: 'Not a befitting way to end such an illustrious career in some Desert.'

A second simply added: 'Money Money Money.'

Another said: 'What a s****y way to end your career.'

While one posted: 'That'd be a s*** ending to a legendary career.'

A fifth continued: 'You either retire a hero, or you play long enough to sportswash human rights abusers.'

And another said: 'Both Messi and Ronaldo ending their career in a disgraceful way by becoming unashamed sportswashing sponsors.

Before someone concluded: 'These last few years of Messi's club career have made his legacy less great in my eyes. What a boring, tired, soulless way to end a career.'