Lionel Messi to leave PSG at end of season with French side not planning to offer new contract

Lionel Messi was suspended earlier this week by Paris Saint-Germain for going on a personal promotional trip to Saudi Arabia without permission; the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's two-year deal with PSG ends this summer and he is now set to leave the Ligue 1 side on a free transfer

Wednesday 3 May 2023 20:00, UK

Lionel Messi will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, with the Ligue 1 club not planning to offer the forward a new contract.

Messi joined PSG in the summer of 2021 on a two-year deal after leaving Barcelona due to their financial issues. The 35-year-old has played 71 times for the French side, scoring 31 goals, recording 34 assists and lifting the title in 2022.

Messi's representatives were in talks over a contract renewal, with everything looking positive during the World Cup in Qatar, but the dynamic has now changed.

PSG consider the move to sign Messi to have been a success on and off the pitch, but sections of the club's fans turned on the player after they were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich.

Messi was also suspended by PSG earlier this week for going on a personal promotional trip to Saudi Arabia without permission.

The Argentina international is understood to have asked PSG for permission to travel to the country, which he did on Sunday night, having twice postponed a scheduled commercial trip due to team defeats.

However, Messi did not get that permission and was therefore suspended for two games and fined two weeks' wages after a day of meetings between the club's hierarchy.

Messi will now miss the Ligue 1 matches against Troyes and Ajaccio, but could return for the match against Auxerre on May 21.

The forward and the team have not been performing as well as expected since the World Cup and his departure in the summer will fit with the club's new strategy of focusing on young French players instead of signing superstar talents.

Messi still believes he can play at the highest level in Europe and Barcelona have made no secret of their desire to re-sign him this summer.

It remains to be seen whether they can afford to offer him a new contract but he is much more likely to stay in Europe than move to Inter Miami - or any other MLS club - or Saudi Arabia at this stage of his career. Messi was pictured in Riyadh on Monday and advertised his presence in the country on his social media. Messi already serves as a tourism ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal want to sign Messi this summer and, with the backing of the country, are prepared to pay him an astronomical £400m for just one season in order to market a league that already contains Cristiano Ronaldo.

Tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb tweeted a welcome to Messi on Monday, as well as posting pictures of the Argentinian only hours after he had played 90 minutes of PSG's 3-1 home defeat to Lorient.

"I am happy to welcome Messi and his family to Saudi to enjoy the magical tourist destinations and authentic experiences," Al-Khateeb tweeted. "We welcome visitors from all around the world to experience a unique trip to Saudi Arabia and its hospitality."

'Messi and PSG's affair ending in acrimony'

Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:

"Paris is the city of love but this affair between Messi and PSG is ending in a very acrimonious way.

"PSG signed Messi on a two-year contract with the option of a third year and they’ve decided they’re not going to take that option.

"There had been talks over a new deal but I think PSG had made it clear to Messi that perhaps they don’t value him as highly as he values himself.

"As far as PSG are concerned, this is a natural time to end his time in Paris. They are moving in a different direction - they want to end the ‘bling-bling’ culture.

"As far as Messi is concerned, he didn’t want to particularly leave Barcelona two years ago. He’s had a pretty good time in Paris but I don’t think he’s in love with the city, and he’s not in love with the club. He feels there are other options that are far more lucrative.

"He would love to go to Barcelona. His father, who acts as his agent, let Barcelona know he wasn’t going to sign a new deal with PSG."

Barcelona have already attempted to step up their efforts to make Messi a contract offer this summer by talking to LaLiga about generating more flexibility in their Financial Fair Play ratio.

The club are in talks with the league regarding their spending limits for next season, with the idea firmly in mind to try to bring Messi back to the Nou Camp for what is likely to be his last year in European football.

However, it will not be easy with Barca having been charged by LaLiga for breaching their limit with three players during the 2021-22 season, including ex-Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, and were forced to re-register Gavi as an academy player.

The Christensen fine has been successfully appealed but Barca remain at the very limit of what they can spend and will almost certainly have to move players on to accommodate a Messi return.

Barcelona manager Xavi told reporters last week it was "too soon" to speculate whether Messi would return to the club, saying: "When it comes to Leo, we don't know if it will happen or not. It's too soon to talk about it.

"Winning the title is very important to us, for the club, the staff and the players. It would give us a lot of stability.

"As for new players arriving, we will talk about it once we've won LaLiga."

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