Al-Hilal have confirmed that Odion Ighalo will exit the club this summer, fuelling speculation about Lionel Messi’s move to Saudi Arabia.
Al-Hilal have announced that striker Ighalo will leave the club after an 18-month spell. The news comes amid heavy speculation that Messi is set to join the Saudi club. His contract with Paris Saint-Germain recently came to an end, and Al-Hilal hoped to announce his arrival in a matter of days. Currently, Saudi clubs are only allowed to register seven foreign players; as a result, many people are interpreting Ighalo’s exit as a sign that Al-Hilal are making room for Messi in the first team.
Al-Hilal’s efforts to sign Messi reflect a broader movement among Saudi clubs to attract more top talent from across Europe. Karim Benzema has also been linked with a move to the Middle East this summer, while Cristiano Ronaldo has repeatedly made headlines since his move to Al-Nassr last year. Securing the signature of Messi would take things to the next level.
Ighalo made a serious impact on the Saudi Pro League during his time there, scoring 42 goals in 57 games for Al-Hilal.
Recall the Nigeria international once had loan spell at Manchester United preceded by stints in the Chinese Super League with Changchun Yatai and Shanghai Shenhua, in the Premier League with Watford, and in LaLiga with Granada.