Messi does not renew the contract with PSG – he wants to receive at the level of Mbappe. What’s next?

Is it Barça?

Lionel Messi has not yet renewed the contract with PSG – if in October the negotiations went smoothly, and the parties planned to continue cooperation, now no one knows where the Argentine will be next season.

Leo’s contract expires this summer.

What’s happened? Messi wants to get at Mbappe’s level

The parties cannot agree on a salary. If before the World Cup 22, the Parisians considered the extension of the Argentine an easy issue, then after the tournament the situation changed. Leo is not renewed on the old terms, but wants to receive not much less than Kylian Mbappe, who costs the club $ 128 million according to Forbes. Messi still receives 120 million – and PSG asks to cut part of the salary.

So far, two options for continuing cooperation are being considered – activating the extension option from Leo’s current contract, or signing a new agreement for a period of one year. The second option suits the club, the player prefers the first.

Though negotiations have slowed down not only because of money. Insider Fabrizio Romano believes that Messi does not understand what the club will be like next season: who will be sold, whether Galtier will be left, whether they will try to shove Neymar. Plus, Leo asks for more time to devote to discussing the term of the new contract – because of this, the parties will have to hold several additional meetings.

Messi intends to stay in Europe, but wants to understand what awaits him next season: the second consecutive departure to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League unnerves the player – the Argentinean is worried about the uncertainty of the club’s project and the constant hatred from the fans.

Paris Saint-Germain is also not yet sure about the renewal of the 35-year-old player: the club believes that the possible departure of Messi will give a lot of room to maneuver in the transfer market, since the Argentine receives 40 million euros a year and does not want to reduce the requirements. The newspaper As reports that President Nasser Al-Khelaifi is not considering extending Messi’s contract for more than a year and is banking on Mbappe.

Barça are a real contender. But La Liga will interfere

Edition L’Équipe assures that now in Europe only PSG can meet Leo’s salary requirements. For the sake of playing in the top leagues, the Argentine will have to reduce his appetite.

This is where Barça comes in – against the backdrop of the economic crisis, the Catalans do not look like a real option, but Catalan insider Gerard Romero believes Leo’s transfer is possible. Journalist Joan Fortes added: the Argentine is ready to return, but everything depends on the offer, although Antonella and the children really want to live in Spain.

Barça are in touch with Leo. President Joan Laporta, in a phone call, apologized to Messi for the situation in the summer of 2021: the player was already preparing to cut his salary by 50%, but the salary cap from La Liga intervened – despite all the promises, Laporta did not take risks and let Leo go, although he counted on it that Messi will almost give up his salary. After that, the Argentine took offense at Joan.