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Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in 2021
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has reached an “initial agreement” to renew his contract with French club Paris Saint-Germain, according to Guillem Balag of BBC Sports.
Messi’s contract, 35, who led Argentina to win the World Cup in Qatar, expires with Paris Saint-Germain in June 2023.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said over the weekend that he “would like” Messi to return to the Spanish team, where he spent 21 years.
But Balag said that Barcelona did not approach Messi about the matter.
Messi will sign a one-year contract with the option to renew for another year. The agreement came after four months of talks between PSG’s director of football, Luis Campos, and Messi’s father, Jorge.
This was followed by an important meeting in Doha with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
“Practically everything has been agreed with Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona did not approach Messi or his father to offer anything,” said Balag, an expert on European football.
image copyright PSG
“So it’s not that Messi doesn’t want to go back to Barcelona. He wasn’t asked about it.”
He added, “Messi is happy with everything, and with his return from his vacation, the agreement will be accelerated.”
“His life in Paris is balanced, happy, everyone is enjoying it and he has a real chance to win the Champions League again. Also, it will help him become a candidate for the Ballon d’Or again,” Balag said.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was named the World Cup’s player of the tournament, with Argentina claiming their third title in the tournament with a penalty shootout victory over France.
After leaving Barcelona, Messi signed a two-year contract in 2021 on a free transfer, with the possibility of renewal for a third year.
He played 53 matches in the French League, scoring 23 goals in all competitions.
Qatar 2022: The World Cup that witnessed Messi being crowned king
The Argentine has so far won the World Cup once, four Champions League titles, the Copa America once, 10 Spanish league titles with Barcelona, and the French League once with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi is considered one of the greatest players of all time, scoring 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona, the team he joined at the age of 13.
And he ended his association with the “Blaugrana” in 2021, when they could no longer fulfill the new contract they agreed upon with him due to the salary limit in the Spanish League.
