Lionel Messi is reportedly not ready to renew his current PSG contract amid speculations linking him to Al-Hilal move.
The Argentine World cup winner and record Ballon d’Or winner has been linked to a mega move to Saudi Arabia that will see him play for a strong rival of Cristiano Ronaldo’s new club Al-Nassr.
It was revealed recently that the Saudi Club were keen on giving Messi a £350million-a-year deal. The move would have seen him surpass Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-paid footballer of all time if the PSG star had signed it.
Meanwhile, PSG were intent on entering into contract renewal talks with the 35-year-old amidst interest from Al-Hilal.
Lionel Messi joined the Ligue 1 giants in the summer of 2021 after leaving boyhood club FC Barcelona.
The cash-strapped Catalans failed to navigate a strict La Liga salary cap when Messi became a free agent, which allowed PSG to step in and sign the Argentine on a two-year deal.
The deal will expire at the end of the current Ligue 1 season. Hence, Messi’s future is up for grabs.
Before the 2022 World Cup, it was reported that Lionel Messi is intending to extend his terms at Paris Saint Germain.
Now, according to Spanish transfer expert Gerard Romero, one of the top sources on Barca’s transfer dealings in the last summer window, Messi has no intention of renewing his PSG deal.
Romero claims winning the World Cup with Argentina has made the 35-year-old reluctant to do so, and the sudden leap in his career has now afforded him more latitude to explore alternative options amid the push by PSG to renew the deal.
Amid the uncertainties hovering on his PSG future, Lionel Messi is undisputably hitting the zenith of his club and international football career.
He led Argentina to their first World Cup trophy since 1985, emerging as the most valuable player of the tournament and second highest goal-scorer with 7 goals
Specifically, his World Cup final heroics helped Argentina survived a scare by his PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe to lift the coveted football trophy.
This season, Messi has 8 goals and 10 assists for PSG in 15 French Ligue 1 games. He has played 5 Champions League matches, and has scored 4 goals.
His current form with the Ligue 1 giants is major leap in his career after a disappointing first season with the club, which he managed just 8 goals in 26 appearances – the lowest stat he has recorded in his 18-year-old football career.
Given his strides in the club before the World Cup, Lionel Messi admitted being happy at PSG after his emotional exit from Barcelona.
With his contract expiring soon, PSG were said to be ready to offer Messi €30 million ($32.5 million) a year to sign his own extension with them, but they have now been dealt a major blow with the Argentine playmaker reportedly not ready to renew his contract.
