Ighalo reveals how Messi forced him out of Saudi league

Former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo has explained how he left Saudi Arabia to make way for Lionel Messi, only for the superstar to move to MLS instead.

The transfer of the World Cup winner was one of the most intriguing of this summer so far, with the 36-year-old having shocked the sporting world by announcing his intention to sign for Inter Miami.

The race for the Argentinian icon's signature reached fever pitch following the conclusion of his final campaign with PSG, with several lucrative offers having been put on the table for the winger.

At one point, a return to Barcelona — the club where he made his name — looked like it would materialise, before a mammoth proposal from the free-spending Saudi Pro League looked to have turned his head.

The offer in question was from Al-Hilal and would have seen the ex-Camp Nou hero earn a staggering £1billion over two years, as per Foot Mercato.

Those reports even contended that Messi's father and agent Jorge had accepted the proposal, with the possibility that he would line up against long-time foe Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Arabian league having looked increasingly legible. Eventually, though, the chance to move to Florida — where he already had a property — proved too difficult to resist, especially following the collapse of a potential move back to Catalonia.

Now former Al-Hilal marksman has revealed that he was expecting the veteran forward to sign for the club he departed at the Saudi Arabian club in June. Even going as far as to suggest that the expectation that Messi would sign for the King Cup holders.

 “I’m shocked [Lionel] Messi didn’t go to Saudi Arabia because it was part of why my contract was not being extended.

"I thought it was a done deal. The money they were offering him in Saudi [Arabia] was crazy. He was going to earn twice what [Cristiano] Ronaldo was earning. I was shocked he didn’t go there. He chose Miami."

Ighalo had scored 42 goals in just 58 outings for the Al-Hilal following another prolific stint with fellow Saudi Pro League outfit Al Shabab, where he notched on 22 occasions in 32 appearances. However, it appears that The Blue Waves are now moving on without the Nigerian forward having added Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to their ranks in the last couple of months.