The Saudi Football Federation has cooled talk of a move for PSG star Leo Messi.

Saudi sides Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal have both reportedly been keen on a move for Messi after his long-term rival, Cristiano Ronaldo completed a deal to join Al-Nassr.

Reports had even stated that Messi was lined up for a £245m-a-year deal to join Al-Nassr's arch-rivals Al-Hilal, after his father Jorge was rumoured to be in Riyadh.

However, Ibrahim Alkassim, the General Secretary of the Saudi Football Federation, told Marca: "At the moment we do not know anything about a possible Lionel Messi arrival, although I do not hide that, as Saudi Federation, we would like to have him one day in the domestic league.

"The idea of the Federation is always to improve our football, and of course we would like to see Cristiano and Messi in the same league again, but the truth is that we don't know anything now."