Having achieved World Cup glory last year with his native Argentina, Lionel Messi has now won it all in football at the age of 35.
However, he still continues to play at the highest level with French giants Paris Saint-Germain, although his contract is expiring at the end of this season. Club officials at PSG are desperate to renew his deal for at least one more year, but Messi is more lax on the situation.
French football journalist Jonathan Johnson has revealed to CaughtOffside that talks over a new contract for Messi will take place until later this month.
“The latest, as I understand it, is that there are contract extension meetings scheduled between PSG and Lionel Messi’s camp for later on in the month.
“At the moment, nothing has been decided either way including the player’s salary. But one thing that is certain is that this potential extension is as important to Ligue 1 as it is to PSG. There is a vested interest from the French league for a player of Messi’s calibre to continue.”
Barcelona are one of the clubs interested in a move for Messi if he chooses to leave PSG, but Johnson revealed that a return to the Argentine’s former club is off the table, with the player said to have reservations about a return.
“There was a lot of talk of Inter Miami trying to sign him not that long ago, and although it was never really that advanced, they do retain some interest, but so do a lot of other clubs.
“Barcelona are not one though. Any suggestions of Messi returning to the Camp Nou have all but died down now. Their project has changed since he left nearly two years ago and there are still a lot of raw emotions about how he left.
“There has been a lot of frustration on Messi’s part, not so much toward the current regime, but certainly the previous one, about how he left. He still feels hurt and angry about how his time at the club came to an end.”
The news is likely to disappoint many Barcelona fans, who were very keen to see their former player return for a second spell.
