Last year, there was an exodus of European superstars to the Middle East. The likes of Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema. bid farewell to their storied stints in Europe. Yet, one enticing offer dominated the headlines. Al Hilal had reportedly made a staggering $1.3 billion move for Lionel Messi. French publication FootMercato revealed that the transfer was done. But now, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has opened up on the saga and revealed that a move was just a ‘concrete possibility‘.

In the ARLS podcast, Romano revealed some fascinating insights regarding the Lionel Messi Al Hilal story. The journalist said, “He (Messi) already prepared his Inter Miami move a long time ago. Romano also gave his opinion on the likeliness of the deal. “I would not say close I think it was a possibility, was a concrete possibility, but never that close.” But what compelled the playmaker to snub the Saudi League for the MLS? The transfer guru revealed the story.

Romano added that finances were not the reason why the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner snubbed AlHilal. He explained, “I think it was just family reasons also because it was close to David Beckham.” The Inter Miami boss is a vocal admirer of Lionel Messi’s talents and termed the signing as a gift to America. Additionally, Romano also factored in the presence of Messi’s Barcelona mates. The likes of Jordi Alba, Busquets, and Suarez joined Miami soon after. This would have surely influenced La Pulga, considering his off-field relationship with these stars.

Although Lionel Messi eventually declined the Saudi offer, it wasn’t an easy choice. In fact, the soccer icon had big words of praise for the development of the Saudi Pro League.

When Lionel Messi opened up on his ‘interesting’ Saudi offer

In an interview, La Pulga revealed his thought process behind joining the Herons amid the Al Hilal offer. He said, “It is also true that later I was thinking a lot about going to the Saudi league, where I know the country and they have created a very powerful competition that can become an important league soon.” Besides, Messi added that as the tourism ambassador of the country, he enjoyed everything regarding the country.

Also, Lionel Messi noted the efforts the people in charge are taking to improve the league. He concluded, “It was Saudi Arabia or MLS, and both options seemed very interesting to me.” While, the Argentine maestro is quite happy with his life in Miami, soccer fans are still ruing the possibility of what could have been. Messi joining Al Hilal would have put him in direct competition with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr. The rivalry between the two significantly helped to increase the popularity of La Liga. There’s no reason why it would not have done the same to the Saudi League as well.