PSG to move quickly over Messi contract

FT Desk

• 3 Nov 2022 09:57 GMT
• 3 min read

Paris Saint-Germain are desperate to tie Lionel Messi down to a new contract before the World Cup, with the Argentine's former club Barcelona circling.

Messi joined PSG on a free transfer from Barcelona last summer with the Blaugrana unable to offer him a new deal whilst they laboured with a €1.35 billion debt.

After a difficult first season in Paris, Messi has been playing like the player of old in the current campaign, with 12 goals and 14 assists in 18 games in all competitions contributed at a rate of one every 61 minutes he has played.

READ: Lionel Messi at PSG: Goals, assists, results & fixtures in 2022-23

However, the 35-year-old has reportedly asked to be dropped for next Sunday's trip to Lorient in Ligue 1, with a clause in his PSG contract allowing him to put international duty with Argentina first around big tournaments.

Messi finally won silverware with his country last year, lifting the Copa America, but the worry for PSG is that he might not prioritise them if his long-time employers Barca came calling either.

They now plan to act fast, according to l'Equipe.

"As with [PSG] head coach Christophe Galtier or his teammates, Messi has a frank relationship with Luis Campos, the club's Football Adviser, and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, its president," they write.

READ: Inter Miami vs Barcelona for Messi: The state of play

"Campos and Al-Khelaïfi are looking for the best financial balance to convince Messi to stay. If the Argentine wants to take his time, postponing his decision until after the World Cup, Campos has a clear goal: persuading Messi to sign a new deal before the start of the competition."

Brothers in arms

Messi also has a lot of allies in the PSG dressing room. Neymar is a long-time teammate from the Barca days together and a fellow counterweight to the increasing power Kylian Mbappe is beginning to wield.

And even former Real Madrid rival Sergio Ramos praised Messi recently.

"It's something that arouses a lot of curiosity," he admitted. "But we have the same objective: to win with PSG. We want to make the team better, with our experience and good performances.

"My relationship with Messi is excellent. You can see it on the field. There's great respect between the players and a good state of mind."