World Cup Player of the Tournament Lionel Messi is available on a free in the summer as things stand, and while it had looked as if he would remain in Paris as recently as last month, that assumption looks much less certain now.
As tends to be the case at Paris Saint-Germain, their assessment of the season hinges on their Champions League performance. After they were dumped out by Bayern Munich, it has made the position of various figures at the club uncertain.
It had been the case that PSG were attempting to persuade Messi into another year-long extension, but now it appears they are having doubts. Hadrien Grenier has reported from L’Equipe that the club are no longer sure of whether they want to renew his deal.
After Messi was whistled by PSG fans ahead of their 2-0 defeat to Nice on Sunday, and with financial fairplay potentially clamping down on their spending, they are now considering whether they really want to keep Messi.
🚨 Le PSG n’est plus si sûr de vouloir prolonger Leo Messi ! 🇦🇷⛔️
Le club a entendu que la prolongation de l’Argentin est très loin de faire l’unanimité parmi les supporters. Paris réfléchit à l’évolution à donner au projet sportif.
(L’ÉQUIPE)
— Hadrien Grenier (@hadrien_grenier) March 19, 2023
Following Barcelona’s El Clasico victory, Sergi Roberto explained that Messi would be welcomed back with open arms by the dressing room. If he does leave PSG, and Barcelona can find space in their salary limit, Barcelona increasingly looks like one of his few options to remain in Europe.
