Doubt has been cast over whether Lionel Messi (35) will feature again for Paris Saint-Germain, with L’Équipe reporting that the Argentinian World Champion “doesn’t imagine himself returning to the Parc des Princes.”
Following an unauthorised contractually obliged visit to Saudi Arabia as part of Messi’s role as a tourism ambassador to the Gulf State, the Argentine was suspended for two weeks. As a result, he will miss PSG’s matches against AC Ajaccio and ESTAC Troyes. However, there is a chance he won’t feature in the final three games of the season, ahead of a summer transfer. Following the saga, it looks highly unlikely that he will remain with Les Parisiens beyond the end of his current contract, which expires his summer.
As reported by RMC Sport, manager Christophe Galtier wants to play Messi to play in the final three games of the season against Auxerre, Strasbourg and Clermont Foot. However, Messi’s willingness to do so has been called into question by L’Équipe.
According to the French publication, Messi “doesn’t see himself coming back after what has happened… and he doesn’t imagine himself returning to the Parc des Princes, where he knows he will be booed again.” However, there are reportedly no negotiations over cutting Messi’s contract short. If the former Barcelona forward wants to leave PSG early, he will have to make the first steps towards making that happen.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
