Seven-time Ballon D’Or winner Lionel Messi will leave French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) when his contract expires at the end of this season in June.
Messi signed a two-year contract when he joined PSG from cash-strapped Barcelona in 2021.
Messi’s contract included a one-year extension option and talks for that extension were going positively before the World Cup but they have stalled in recent months, and now Soccer Scoop can confirm that they have fallen apart as PSG will not offer the World Cup winner a new contract.
According to Sky Sports, Messi’s father, who also doubles as his agent told PSG bosses over a month ago that Messi would like to move on at the end of the season amidst reports of interest from former club Barcelona, David Beckham’s Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer (MLS), and a mouthwatering ££50 million contract offer from Saudi Arabia Pro League’s Al Hilal.
However, the final stroke came when Messi took what PSG said was an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia a few days ago after which the club suspended him for two weeks and won’t receive his salary in this period too.
It is worth noting that the 35-year-old Argentina captain is the tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia and has been to this oil-rich nation several times.
Since joining in the summer of 2021, Messi has made 71 appearances for PSG, scoring 31 goals and assisting 34 in all competitions. He won the Ligue 1 title last year.
The forward was suspended earlier this week by Paris Saint-Germain for going on a personal promotional trip to Saudi Arabia without permission; the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s two-year deal with PSG ends this summer and he is now set to leave the Ligue 1 side on a free transfer
Messi will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, with the Ligue 1 club not planning to offer the forward a new contract.
There has been growing resentment and abuse for Messi from PSG fans since their elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich in March.
