Author: Amrit Santlani
Lionel Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire at the end of the season and the two parties are still a long way from agreeing on an extension. Meanwhile, Barcelona have found a window of opportunity and are eager to bring their prodigal son back to the Camp Nou.
When Messi won the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year, his images with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi went viral and reports claimed that PSG had reached a verbal agreement with the star about his extension, but things have become complicated in the months since.
Now, according to El Nacional, even Kylian Mbappé is trying to convince his teammate to stay at the Parc des Princes and reject a return to Barcelona.
The 35-year-old is about to become a free agent, two years after joining PSG following a painful departure from his boyhood club due to La Liga salary cap issues. However, Mbappé is doing his best to convince Messi to extend his stay in the French capital, as the two players have formed a formidable partnership on the pitch.
The Ligue 1 giants have yet to achieve their dream of winning the UEFA Champions League, having reached the final in 2020, PSG will need all the help they can get to lift the coveted title they crave the most. Mbappé has renewed his contract with the club and is well aware of Messi’s quality.
Despite Kylian’s best efforts, negotiations between Messi and PSG have stalled with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner seeking guarantees over the club’s sporting project. So the ball is in the club’s court to convince the striker or he could simply return to Barcelona. Since Neymar joined the Parisians, relations between the two clubs have soured and if PSG lose their star player to Barça, this could lead to more friction between the two parties.
Meanwhile, the La Liga giants are still exploring possibilities to stay in line with UEFA’s financial fair play regulations and are trying to find a way to register his huge salary within La Liga’s salary cap.
During PSG’s 0-1 defeat to Lyon, Messi was booed by the fans at the Parc des Princes, amid his links with Barcelona, and former Barça president Joan Gaspart feels this could be a catalyst in the Argentine’s desire to return to Spain.
Gaspart (via Football Espana) said that the booing from PSG fans could have an impact on Messi’s future.
“If he makes a decision based on money, he’ll certainly get better offers, but if you do it with your heart, there’s no place in the world that wants him like Barcelona,” said Gaspart.
“In Paris, they blow the whistle against him, but here at Barcelona we love him. I like the idea that he can end his career at Barcelona and stay with the club for the rest of his life” he added.
Messi scored during PSG’s 2-0 win over Nice, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal tally in Europe’s top five leagues, taking his tally to 702 goals, one more than the Portuguese star. He would then give an assist to Sergio Ramos, which was supposedly his 1,000th contribution to the goal according to ESPN at club level, taking into account the veteran striker’s 298 assists.
The star will return to action on April 16 with a match against Lens, as PSG have the chance to extend their lead at the top of Ligue 1.