Current:Home > MarketsAfter failing to land Lionel Messi, Al Hilal makes record bid for Kylian Mbappe-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
After failing to land Lionel Messi, Al Hilal makes record bid for Kylian Mbappe
View Date:2024-12-24 09:54:00
After missing out on Lionel Messi, Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal is making a record-breaking push for another star soccer player.
The club made a €300 million bid — or $332 million — to French club Paris Saint-Germain for striker Kylian Mbappé. If accepted, that would break the world record of $262 million that PSG paid Barcelona in 2017 for the right to negotiate with Brazilian icon Neymar. PSG confirmed the offer and has allowed Al Hilal to negotiate directly with Mbappé.
ESPN reported, citing anonymous sources, that Mbappé is not interested in the overture from the Saudi club. According to CBS Sports, Al Hilal is prepared to offer Mbappé a one-year salary of €700 million, or $776 million.
Mbappé is in a contract dispute with PSG after he declined to take up the option of a 12-month extension on his deal. He has been widely linked to a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid. PSG cut Mbappe from its preseason tour of Japan on Saturday, with the French club determined to sell him unless he can be convinced to sign a new contract.
Mbappé, 24, is widely considered to be one of the brightest young stars in global soccer because of his speed, ball control and finishing ability. Mbappé was a key figure in France's 2018 World Cup victory, scoring a goal in the final over Croatia, but also starred in the most recent World Cup, winning the Golden Boot.
WORLD CUP CENTRAL: 2023 Women's World Cup Live Scores, Schedules, Standings, Bracket and More
Did Al Hilal express interest in Lionel Messi?
Yes. The Saudi team, which is the rival team of Cristiano Ronaldo's current squad, Al-Nassr, had been trying to pry Messi away from Paris Saint-Germain. In May, Messi took an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia, which was part of a promotional tour with the country's office of tourism. PSG suspended and fined Messi two weeks for the matter. Messi, instead, opted to sign July 15 with Inter Miami of the MLS, where he has already made a splash, scoring a free kick winner in the 94th minute of his debut with the club.
Did Cristiano Ronaldo sign with a Saudi Arabian team?
In December, Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr on a contract that runs through June 2025 and reportedly pays him up to $200 million annually. Ronaldo criticized Messi's move to the MLS recently after Al-Nassr suffered a 5-0 defeat in a friendly against Celta Vigo. When asked after the match if he would look to join Messi in the MLS, Ronaldo told reporters in Portuguese: "No because in Arabia, the competition much better than in the United States."
What other players have joined Saudi teams?
Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad), former Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kanté (Al-Ittihad), former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino (Al-Ahli), former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal) and former Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic (Al-Nassr) are among the players who have moved or will soon move to the Saudi league.
Contributing: Associated Press
veryGood! (69)
Related
- Kathy Bates likes 'not having breasts' after her cancer battle: 'They were like 10 pounds'
- Why the US job market has defied rising interest rates and expectations of high unemployment
- A Taiwan golf ball maker fined after a fatal fire for storing 30 times limit for hazardous material
- Residents prepare to return to sites of homes demolished in Lahaina wildfire 7 weeks ago
- What is best start in NBA history? Five teams ahead of Cavaliers' 13-0 record
- UAW strike: Union battle with Detroit automakers escalates to PR war, will hurt consumers
- William Byron withstands Texas chaos to clinch berth in Round of 8 of NASCAR playoffs
- Government should pay compensation for secretive Cold War-era testing, St. Louis victims say
- FBI offers up to $25,000 reward for information about suspect behind Northwest ballot box fires
- WEOWNCOIN: The Fusion of Cryptocurrency and the Internet of Things—Building the Future of the Smart Economy
Ranking
- DWTS' Sasha Farber Claps Back at Diss From Jenn Tran's Ex Devin Strader
- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy calls on Sen. Robert Menendez to resign in wake of indictment
- 'The Amazing Race' 2023 premiere: Season 35 cast, start date, time, how to watch
- Yes, empty-nest syndrome is real. Why does sending my kid to college make me want to cry?
- ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ review: Darren Criss shines in one of the best musicals in years
- Hollywood writers reach a tentative deal with studios after nearly five month strike
- How inflation will affect Social Security increases, income-tax provisions for 2024
- Why Spain’s conservative leader is a long shot to become prime minister despite winning election
Recommendation
-
Travis Kelce's and Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Houses Burglarized
-
Past high-profile trials suggest stress and potential pitfalls for Georgia judge handling Trump case
-
Who won? When is the next draw? What to know about Powerball this weekend
-
A coal mine fire in southern China’s Guizhou province kills 16 people
-
Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper Prove They're Going Strong With Twinning Looks on NYC Date
-
India had been riding a geopolitical high. But it comes to the UN with a mess on its hands
-
'Here I am, closer to the gutter than ever': John Waters gets his Hollywood star
-
WEOWNCOIN: Ethereum—The Next Generation Platform for Smart Contracts