In recent weeks, the future of Lionel Messi has become a topic of much discussion as his contract with PSG stands to expire at the end of the season.
The 35-year-old seemed likely to renew with the Ligue 1 champions at one point, but the possibility of him moving away from Paris has been gaining weight of late.
A return to Barcelona has been mooted, with the La Liga leaders keen on bringing back their club legend. To that end, it is understood that a meeting took place between president Joan Laporta and Messi’s father, Jorge.
At the same time, though, the Argentina captain is attracting strong interest from the MLS, in particular Inter Miami, while clubs in Saudi Arabia are also keen on swooping in for him.
Indeed, reports suggested that Al-Ittihad are even willing to offer Messi an outrageous €88 million per year contract for two seasons.
Meanwhile, a possible romantic return to his boyhood club in Argentina, Newell’s Old Boys, has also been talked about.
But, according to Alfredo Martinez of SPORT, Messi is not considering any of those possibilities at this moment as he is keen on staying put in Europe and continue competing at the highest level.
While a return to Argentina would certainly be a feel-good story, the option is understood to be ruled out at this point, with such a move seen as premature at this point in his career.
It is understandable that Messi wants to continue playing at the highest level. Despite being 35, the seven-time Ballon d’Or still continues to mesmerise fans and recently led Argentina to the FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar.
The Barcelona legend’s desire to continue in Europe could be perceived as a boost by the club. However, a lot of things will need to align for a reunion to materialise in the summer, starting with repairing the relation between Messi and Laporta as well as sorting out the FFP issues that continue to plague the Blaugrana.
