Argentine legend Mario Kempes has given his insight into his compatriot Lionel Messi’s struggles with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi joined PSG from Barcelona in the summer transfer window after his contract with the latter expired and it became evident the Catalan club couldn’t afford to renew it.
The Argentine has since endured a tough season in France. His performances haven’t been bad but they haven’t been to the stratospheric standard we’ve been accustomed to from him.
PSG are clear at the top of Ligue 1 but they crashed out of the Champions League at the last 16 after losing to Real Madrid. Reports have surfaced claiming Messi is unhappy with PSG and wants to return to his spiritual home of Camp Nou.
“If Messi is tired at PSG, he’s going to have to resolve his situation and see what he wants to do,” Kempes said in comments carried by Diario Sport.
“He has a pretty long contract with Paris. I don’t know if Barcelona will welcome him back with open arms because he left in a way that nobody expected and now he’d be returning in a way that nobody expected. It’s complicated.
“In Barcelona was a king, and in Paris he’s not as happy as he was when he was at Barcelona. He’s still king of the world, what’s happening is that the results aren’t coming and that affects him, no matter how much he tries to hide it. I don’t think Messi will last that long at PSG if things continue as they have been.
“I see Messi’s face and I’m concerned. Not because I see him wearing the PSG shirt, but because I’m worried what he can do with the Argentine national team.
“Whether he wins or loses with Paris, or whether he plays for Barcelona or Madrid, I don’t give five cucumbers. The only thing I want is Messi at 200% for the Argentine national team. I want him to arrive in the best shape both mentally and physically.”
Messi, who has scored 80 goals in 158 caps for his country, is currently away with Argentina for the international break. The Albiceleste face Venezuela and Ecuador in World Cup Qualifiers.
Kempes played for Argentina between 1973 and 1982 and was a key part of the team that won the 1978 World Cup on home soil.
