PSG Targets Messi

Paris St-Germain are making adhesion into signing Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the club has refused to discuss renewal of contract with him, Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has said.

The Argentine forward, 33, is out of contract this summer and is yet to agree on extension.

A number of players could leave the La Liga club in the coming months.

“Messi will monitor the next two weeks when big club decisions will be made,” Balague said.

Messi sent a fax to Barca in August 2020 saying he wanted to exercise a clause in his contract which he said allowed him to leave for free.

But the club said his 700m euro (£624m) release clause would have to be met.

He ultimately stayed with the La Liga giants, saying it would be “impossible” for any team to pay the fee.

Messi said at the time that the fact he did not tell Barca he wanted to leave before 10 June was crucial, and had he done so his release clause would not have had to be met.

Manager Ronald Koeman said he hoped Messi had not played his last game for Barca at the Nou Camp following their 2-1 home defeat by Celta Vigo on Sunday, but the striker was granted an early holiday and missed the final game of the season against Eibar.

“He will have to decide if he wants to be in the club for a couple more seasons as a rebuild is taking place or if he wants to help PSG to win Champions League titles,” Balague wrote on Twitter.

“Nobody can guess what he will decide at this point.”