How EPL Club Is Helping Saudi Teams Raise Money to Sign Messi and Benzema

• Newcastle's owners are providing the funds for the Saudi teams’ attempt to sign Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema
• The Saudi Pro League is launching a bid to bring in several superstars including Messi and Benzema
• Both Messi and Benzema will be free agents this summer when their deals with PSG and Real Madrid expire

Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema could end up playing in the Saudi Pro League next season after both players received mouth-watering deals from two teams.

Al-Hilal has offered to make Messi the highest-paid athlete in the world after tabling an offer to the Argentine superstar worth over $400m per year, while Benzema also has a $200m offer from Al Ittihad.

According to the Daily Mirror, Newcastle's owners are reportedly providing the money to fund Saudi Arabia's attempts to convince Messi and Benzema to move to the Middle East.

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Bosses in the Middle Eastern state are hoping to tempt other superstars to join their teams after acquiring Cristiano Ronaldo after his exit from Manchester United.

The PIF, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund and owners of Newcastle is chaired by the country's powerful crown prince Mohamed bin Salman and has provided much of the money which has been invested into the league in recent years.

Two EPL clubs enter Messi race

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi's contract with PSG expires this summer, and two English Premier League teams have entered the fray to sign him, Team Talk reports.

Chelsea and Newcastle are interested in signing the 35-year-old superstar after he played his final game for Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday in the 3-2 defeat to Clermont.

Chelsea are hoping Messi’s previous working relationship with new manager Mauricio Pochettino will give them the edge while Newcastle who has the financial might believe Champions League qualification is good enough to lure the Argentine.

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PSG lose on Messi’s farewell

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Lionel Messi's final game for Paris Saint-Germain ended in defeat on Saturday, while Monaco missed out on European qualification and Auxerre were relegated on the last night of the Ligue 1 season.

Messi's expected departure from the French giants after two seasons was officially confirmed by PSG in a statement shortly before Saturday's match against Clermont.

Yet Messi, who ends his PSG career with 32 goals in 75 appearances, was jeered by some fans during the match, which the champions lost 3-2.