Next summer’s transfer window was already highly anticipated with Kylian Mbappé and Neymar Jr. entering the last year of their contract with Paris Saint-Germain. As if those names weren’t big enough, a new report reveals that Lionel Messi could be changing teams after the 2020-21 season as well.
According to journalist Manu Carreno, via the El Larguero program on Cadena SER, Messi will leave FC Barcelona when his contract expires at the end of next season.
Messi will be 34-years-old when he changes team, but we’ve yet to really see him slow down. The issue seems to be that arguably the greatest player to ever put on a pair of football boots is tired of being blamed for everything wrong in Barcelona, according to Diario AS.
When thinking about a potential team that could land Messi, PSG has to be mentioned. If they can retain Mbappé and Neymar beyond 2022, Messi would undoubtedly see the French giants as a serious UEFA Champions League contender. His relationship with Neymar will go a long way in convincing him to leave La Liga for Ligue 1. He’ll also see Ligue 1 as less-demanding, which will allow him to primarily concentrate on winning another Champions League title.
For PSG, they won’t have to pay a transfer fee for Messi and while his wages are high, they should be able to afford them especially post-coronavirus with the salaries of Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani off the books. Then there’s the marketing aspect. The capital club has already seen huge increases in sponsorship deals with Mbappé and Neymar so you can only imagine what having Messi in the squad will do.
What will be most interesting if Messi chooses PSG is how the media reacts. Messi is loved by everyone and if puts on a Parisian kit, will they suddenly turn on him?
Of course, this report could be Messi’s way to get a new deal with an astronomical salary, so I wouldn’t get your hopes up. However, if Messi does want to leave, PSG can make a very strong case for him to join.
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