'If it had been a matter of money..': Why Lionel Messi rejected Saudi Arabia's £4 bn offer

Lionel Messi debunked all reports and speculations that linked him with a possible move to Saudi Arabia in recent months by announcing his move to Inter Miami. As reported earlier, Messi was said to have received a whopping £4 bn offer from a Saudi Arabian club. In the last few months of his tenure with PSG, Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal emerged as the leading club in line looking to rope in the 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning Argentine captain.

However, in a joint interview with Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo in Paris, Lionel Messi shed light on his decision to not join the Saudi Arabian club. As revealed by him, the soon-to-be 36-year-old brushed aside a big money move to the Gulf country in order to enjoy the game differently at Inter Miami. The footballing world expected Messi to follow Cristiano Ronaldo and accept a lucrative offer in Saudi.

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"If it had been a question of money...."

“I've taken the decision that I am going to Miami, I don't have (the deal) 100 per cent sealed or maybe there's something left to do, but we decided to continue our path there. After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it's time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day-to-day life more,” said Messi in the interview.

"If it had been a question of money, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere. It seemed a lot of money and the truth is that my decision went another way and not for money,” he added. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner admitted to being unhappy during his two-year stint at PSG. 

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Lionel Messi admits to being unhappy for two years

"I had two years where I was so unhappy on a personal level that I didn't enjoy it. I had that month that was spectacular for me because of winning the World Cup, but apart from that, it was a difficult period for me. I want to rediscover joy, enjoy my family, my children, the day-to-day... And that's why the decision for Barcelona didn't happen,” said Messi. 

Further explaining why a move back to his boyhood club Barcelona was not possible, the star footballer said he doesn’t want to re-visit the demons of the past. “We arrived with the illusion of each year, to start training again and the children with their schools and their routines. When everything was to sign, overnight, it couldn't be done and they tell me that it's not possible and I have to leave the club. I had to start running and look for a team, make a hasty decision and go through everything that we went through that it was hard," he recalled.