Gianluigi Buffon ‘offered shock transfer on mammoth £25MILLION-a-year deal’ to continue playing career at 45 years old

The Sun
 
Gianluigi Buffon ‘offered shock transfer on mammoth £25MILLION-a-year deal’ to continue playing career at 45 years old

GIANLUIGI BUFFON has been offered a £25million-a-year deal to move to the Saudi Pro League, according to reports.

The Italian veteran spent last season playing for boyhood club Parma in Serie B.

Aged 45, he has a year remaining on his Parma contract.

But, according to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, Buffon has been offered an extraordinary £25m-a-year contract to head to an unnamed Saudi Pro League club.

The legendary former Juventus stopper is now mulling over his options as he plots how to bring the curtain down on his incredible career.

Buffon could opt to see out his Parma deal before hanging up his boots next year as Italy's oldest-ever goalkeeper, aged 46.

Alternatively he could retire now, having suffered with hamstring injuries last season.

He may now opt to leave Italian football altogether to join one of the four clubs owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.

Amid his injury woes, Buffon made 17 Serie B appearances as Parma's skipper.

Parma reached the Serie B play-offs but lost to Cagliari - with Buffon missing the second leg with a calf issue.

The 2006 World Cup winner began his career with Parma all the way back in 1995.

After six years he left to join Juventus - excelling with the Old Lady until 2018.

Chasing an elusive Champions League triumph he joined Paris Saint-Germain, spending one season in the French capital before returning to Juve.

Should he move to the Saudi Pro League, he would become the latest in an ever-increasing line of stars to make the switch.

His former Juventus team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr during last season.

While the likes of Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly have since followed.