According to a source privy to the negotiations, Argentine talisman, Lionel Messi, has purportedly reached an agreement to grace the Saudi Arabian football arena next season through a significantly lucrative deal, as disclosed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday.

"Messi is a done deal. He will play in Saudi Arabia next season," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity and without naming the club.

"The contract is exceptional. It's huge. We are just finalizing some small details," the source added.

Asked about the comments, Messi's current club Paris Saint-Germain simply noted that he remains under contract until June 30.

A separate PSG source said: "If the club had wanted to renew his contract, it would have been done earlier."

The 35-year-old World Cup winner was suspended by Qatari-owned PSG last week for an unauthorized trip to Saudi, where he is a tourism ambassador.

Messi's expected arrival in the oil-rich kingdom follows in the footsteps of his archrival Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr in a massive deal in January.

Ronaldo's agreement to June 2025 is said to total more than 400 million euros ($439 million), making him the world's highest-paid athlete according to Forbes.