Seven time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi could bring an early conclusion to his spell at Paris Saint Germain. According to reports, the 35-year old Argentinian is set to depart from the club within the next 10 days.
Messi joined the Parisians in 2021 on a free transfer after his former club, FC Barcelona, failed to negotiate a contract with him. His performances with PSG so far have been questionable. In the 2021-22 season, Messi managed only 11 goals and 15 assists in 34 appearances for Les Parisiens.
The 2022-23 season hasn’t worked wonders for the 35-year old Argentinian either. In the current season, he has better stats compared to the previous year, as he has 20 goals and 19 assists to his name in 37 appearances. However, Messi has failed to be impactful in the Champions League, as PSG exited the competition in the round of 16 in 2021-22 and in the current season.
He seems to have fallen out of favor with PSG fans as well. He has been booed by the PSG home crowd on two different occasions, and fans have actively protested against him in front of the PSG headquarters, calling him names.
PSG fans might regret their treatment of Lionel Messi 🤷 pic.twitter.com/JJMKjGBY1Z
— GOAL (@goal) May 5, 2023
The 2022 World Cup winner is currently serving a ban after he made a trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this week, which was unauthorized by the club. Messi had delayed the trip on two different occasions already.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is reportedly considering leaving Paris before the season is over due to his displeasure with the ban. Messi’s current contract with PSG stipulates that he will be a free agent come the summer transfer window. The recent events may force the ex-Barcelona player to prematurely terminate his contract, despite his previous intention to leave at the specified time.
It is speculated that Lionel Messi may terminate his contract as early as in the next 10 days.
🚨🚨| Leo Messi could TERMINATE his contract with PSG within the next 10 days. He may not return to train with them again & reach an agreement to end his contract.@le_Parisien [🎖️] pic.twitter.com/ZOSoldAzQl
— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) May 4, 2023
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi expressed optimism that Messi would sign a new contract with the club while speaking to Sky Sports last year. “Messi is happy here. A player’s performance for the national team will suffer if they are unhappy. He gave us excellent performances this season. He has contributed to several goals and assists for both the club and the national team,” the Paris chief said.
Leo Messi on his PSG suspension:
“I want to apologize, of course, to my teammates, to the club. I honestly thought we had a day off after the game as we have done throughout the weeks before… sorry for what I did and I’m waiting for whatever the club decides.” pic.twitter.com/YKifwtsPRJ
— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 5, 2023
The drama continues, and who knows where arguably the greatest of all time will be playing next season!
