FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have held a long-standing rivalry as the capital club has landed Neymar Jr., Xavi Simons, and Lionel Messi. Moves that haven’t necessarily sat well with the Spanish side.
Nonetheless, it seems that PSG might be attempting to further its approach to grabbing another Barcelona player. According to Catalan media outlet TV3 (via Foot Mercato), Les Parisiens are on the attack and want to land Diego Almeida, one of the top prospects in La Masia.
The report states that the Ligue 1 side has already made a contract offer to the 17-year-old Spanish-Ecuadorian center-back, whose agent is Lionel Messi’s brother, Rodrigo Messi. PSG is reportedly offering €200,000 net per season, which is more than he earns at Barcelona.
Although the player feels comfortable at Barcelona, the salary is enticing, says the Spanish media outlet. Furthermore, PSG could also pay his release clause, an amount that’s not disclosed, not exceptionally high.
Almeida is under contract until 2023, so the young defender has a decision to make on his future. As for PSG, perhaps the move signifies that they’re not confident in the central defenders in their youth academy that have the potential to break through to the first team.