RIYADH, May 13, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Al-Hilal president Fahd Bin Nafel refused to

comment on the possibility of signing Lionel Messi, insisting his Saudi
Arabian side is "more important than just one player", as fans clamour for
the World Cup winner.

"Don't ask me about Messi," Bin Nafel told reporters when asked after Al-
Hilal's victory in the King's Cup final in Jeddah on Friday about the
Argentine superstar's transfer rumours.

"I will not tell you any news. If anything comes out from our media centre,
you will get it."

In another interview on the pitch, as the crowd shouted "Messi, Messi", Bin
Nafel said: "The group is more important to me than a player. Any star who
comes to our club should know that we are a big club. We aim to improve (the
team)... If you focus on one person, you lose the group."

Al-Hilal have been coached by former Argentinian international striker Ramon
Diaz since February 2022, after a first stint at the Riyadh-based team
between October 2016 and February 2018.

After two unexceptional years at Paris Saint-Germain, the rich oil kingdom of
the Gulf offers an "enormous" financial opportunity for the 35-year-old
Messi, a source close to the negotiations told AFP on Tuesday in Riyadh.

The deal would mean the record seven-time Ballon d'Or winner potentially
joins his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi league as the Gulf state
lavishes its oil wealth on sport.