REVEALED: Al-Hilal's latest plan to beat Barcelona to Messi

Tom Weber

• Updated: 20 May 2023 16:24 BST
• 3 min read

Al-Hilal are ready to lure a superstar coach to Saudi Arabia in their bid to land Lionel Messi.

Former Brazil head coach Tite has been out of a job since the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where his side failed to get beyond the quarter-finals stage, losing to Croatia on penalties. This could soon change, however.

Al-Hilal's current Argentine boss Ramon Diaz has already departed the Saudi side, though not because he was sacked. A family emergency forced him to return to South America prematurely, but he would have been out of contract this summer anyway.

READ: Barcelona get GREEN LIGHT to complete Messi transfer

Indeed, pressure had already been mounting on Diaz following Al-Hilal's mixed league form and loss in the Asian Champions League to Urawa Reds of Japan. The Riyadh giant had no plans of renewing his deal, and according to various reports, they have already lined up a replacement.

Tite and Messi?

According to Arriyadiyah, Al-Hilal have been in talks with Tite and he could conceivably be announced as their new head coach soon.

Bringing in such a big-name manager could increase their chances of landing Lionel Messi, though the reported €400 million per year offer will certainly be more tempting than the face in the dugout.

Messi's Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar was certainly fond of his former national team boss, whom he affectionately called 'Professor,' and if a return to Barcelona falls through in light of the club's financial misery, the Neymar-Tite connection may tip the scales in Al-Hilal's favour.

READ: Ronaldo to be joined by Premier League star at Al-Nassr

Tite would be the latest high-profile football personality to head to Saudi Arabia. Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr already raised the profile of the country's game and the government is keen to lure more stars to its Pro League. In fact, ex-PSG and Spurs winger Lucas Moura appears to be on his way to Al-Nassr as well.