Al-Hilal star fears Lionel Messi will have him axed if £400m deal goes through following World Cup argument

• Pair clashed in Qatar
• Argentine heading towards free agency
• Moved to Middle East mooted

WHAT HAPPENED? Al-Bulayhi has suggested that his position at Al-Hilal may come under threat if seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi were to complete a stunning move to the Middle East, with the potential there for the Argentine to ask for him to be cut from the squad. Al-Bulayhi previously locked horns with the iconic South American in Qatar, as Saudi Arabia stunned the eventual champions 2-1 in their group stage opener, with the 33-year-old defender provoking the most illustrious of opponents.

WHAT THEY SAID: Al-Bulayhi has told SBC as rumours rage regarding a possible move to Al-Hilal for Messi: “I do not know what will happen, and I am afraid that he says, ‘I do not want number five.’ I do not know if Messi will come or not, but if he comes, may God protect me! If he comes, God willing, I will not attend the first two days until I monitor the situation from afar so that he may forget me.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Al-Bulayhi claims to have enjoyed his experience of coming up against Messi, as he helped to deliver one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history, with important lessons taken from facing Uruguayan strike duo Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez in 2018. He added: “After [the] Uruguay match, I will not ever be afraid even if I face three Messis. Messi is a legend and I do not want to talk about him, as he may come. He is a legend, but in the end we are 11 against 11.”

IN THREE PHOTOS:

@Getty

Getty

Getty

WHAT NEXT? Messi is yet to make a decision on his next move, as his contract at Paris Saint-Germain runs down towards free agency, with a record-breaking £400 million ($498m) contract in Saudi Arabia being speculated on alongside a possible return to Barcelona or a fresh start in MLS.