Report: PSG's Lionel Messi '50-50' on Al-Hilal Contract amid Barcelona Transfer Buzz

The idea of Lionel Messi joining Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires over the summer is reportedly gaining steam.

According to ESPN's Mark Ogden, a source puts the chances of Messi signing with Al Hilal at "50-50" now that it is unlikely PSG will be able to sign Messi to a new deal.

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has publicly expressed interest in bringing Messi back to the club he played with for the vast majority of his career, but that too is considered unlikely due to the amount of money Barça would have to clear in order to sign him.

Per ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens, Barcelona vice president Rafa Yuste said last week that the club had been in contact with Messi in hopes of signing him back at the conclusion of his contract in June.

While Yuste expressed a positive outlook regarding Barcelona signing back their greatest player in club history, Marsden and Llorens noted that it wouldn't be easy since Barça would have to clear about €150 million in order to satisfy La Liga.

World football reporter Fabrizio Romano reported Tuesday that Al-Hilal offered Messi a deal that would pay more than €400 million per season, although a source indicated to Ogden that reports of how much Al-Hilal would actually pay Messi are "excessive."

Romano reported that PSG want Messi to take a 25 percent pay cut from his current annual salary of €40 million, which may explain why Messi is considering alternative options.

Although Romano noted that staying in Europe is a "priority" for Messi, it may be difficult to turn down the type of money Al-Hilal is capable of offering.

Messi's longtime rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, signed a two-year deal worth €200 million per year in total with Saudi club Al-Nassr at the start of the year.

With Ronaldo leading the way, Al-Nassr is in second place in the Saudi Professional League, just one point behind Al-Ittihad. Al-Hilal are in third, eight points off first place.

Entering this season, Al-Hilal had won the Saudi Pro League three years in a row and five out of six years, and they would likely be the team to beat once again with Messi in the fold.

Al-Hilal's chances of signing Messi are perhaps bolstered by the fact that the Argentinian superstar is a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia.

There has also been some talk about Messi coming to the United States, specifically to play for Inter Miami of MLS, but MLS cannot come close to competing with the financial offers Messi can receive from Saudi Arabia.

Messi is one of the greatest soccer players of all time with four UEFA Champions League titles to his credit, plus seven Ballon d'Or awards, given to the best male soccer player in the world.

Additionally, Messi finally reached the top of the mountain internationally last year when he led Argentina to a FIFA World Cup win.

Saudi Arabia was once far off the radar in terms of interest in its pro soccer league from fans across the world, but Ronaldo's arrival has changed that.

If Messi signs as well, and the Saudi Pro League boasts two of the greatest players ever, it could work wonders for the league's popularity and presence globally.