Lionel Messi set for PSG exit next summer

Published at :May 5, 2023 at 4:34 AM

Modified at :May 5, 2023 at 4:34 AM

The World Cup winner will not sign a fresh contract with the French side.

The Argentine World Cup champion Lionel Messi concluded an 'understanding in principle' to stay with current club Paris Saint Germain for another year, but neither the team nor the player are willing to sign the contract.

Due to financial constraints, Messi is sceptical that the club will be able to compete at the highest level of European competition, whereas the French champions choose to focus on nurturing young players.

He signed a two-year contract with Paris Saint Germain in 2021 with the option to extend for another year, but that option has already been deactivated.

His father, Jorge Messi, is said to have alerted Paris St-Germain's football consultant Luis Campos only a few days earlier.

FFP a big stumbling block

According to the player, PSG's expenditure could be reduced next season in order to comply with Financial Fair Play guidelines, putting the excellence of their team at peril.

His refusal to sign a new contract in recent months has irritated PSG's Qatari proprietors, who think Messi's lack of commitment was a clear indication that he did not want to remain.

PSG punished the 35-year-old on Tuesday with a suspension for two weeks after he travelled to Saudi Arabia without authorization from the club.

Barcelona are keen to bring their star player back to the Nou Camp, but without the La Liga champions in financial trouble, a return 'home' looks extremely doubtful.

Inter Miami is also interested in signing him for Major League Soccer, and Al-Hilal have offered him 400 million euros (£354 million) to play for them for a year.

Messi, on the other hand, believes he can fight at the top of European football for another season, hoping to win a fifth Champions League championship, but with a move to Barcelona seeming unlikely, his alternatives are becoming more and more restricted.

Messi boasts 31 goals and 34 assists in 71 games across all competitions for PSG, and claimed the Ligue 1 title this past season.