President of Al-Hilal responds to "the possibility of bringing Messi"

The president of Al Hilal Saudi club Fahd bin Nafel refused to comment on the possibility of bringing Argentine world champion Lionel Messi to strengthen his ranks next season, saying that the group has "more important than one player." A source familiar with the negotiations revealed to AFP on Tuesday that the seven-time world player of the best will play with Al Hilal under an "exceptional and huge" deal: "Messi's deal is done. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season," he said, without mentioning which club he will play for.

"The contract is exceptional, it's huge. We're in the process of finalizing some small details," while the player's father and agent Jorge insisted his 35-year-old son had not yet set his destination: "There is no agreement with any club for next year." Despite several reports linking Messi and Al-Hilal, sources with the record holder in the number of times winning the Saudi league told AFP that the capital team was not in direct contact with his French team Paris Saint-Germain, whose contract with the "mosquito" expires at the end of June.
After Al Hilal won the King's Cup yesterday at the expense of Al Wahda on penalties 7-6 (1-1), Bin Nafel responded to journalists' questions about the possibility of bringing Messi, saying, "Don't ask me about Messi. I won't give you news. If anything comes from the media center, you will get it." In the analytical studio after the match, Ben Nafel said from the pitch to the sound of the crowd shouting "Messi, Messi": "My group is more important than a player, any star who comes to our club must know that we are a big club. We aim to add and improve. If you focus on someone you lose the group."

Al Hilal compensated for its decline in the domestic league that it achieved in the past three seasons, in part, by winning the King's Cup, knowing that it reached the final of the Club World Cup, where it lost to Real Madrid, and the final of the AFC Champions League finally when it lost its title to Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds. Asked about the possibility of completing the league with reserve players, Ben Nafel replied: "This is a matter for the coach alone."