Everything is a possibility when it comes to Lionel Messi’s future. According to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, the Argentina captain has received offers from Saudi Arabia and the USA’s Major League Soccer, as well as interest from Barcelona, though no official offer has been made yet. Messi had previously agreed in principle to renew his contract with Paris St-Germain for another year, but he is not convinced that the club can remain competitive at the top of European football due to Financial Fair Play regulations.
The pressure from the club’s Qatar owners is immense, and a number of clubs from around the world are attempting to convince the 2022 World Cup winner to sign for them. Messi had left Barcelona for financial reasons in 2021, and was met by whistles from a small section of PSG fans after news broke that Barcelona were in contact with him about returning to the club. Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father and agent, had a 25-minute meeting with Barca president Joan Laporta in a Barcelona hotel, though the main theme of the conversation was not the future of Leo but how Barcelona can give him an homage.
Xavi, Barcelona’s manager, speaks regularly to Messi and paints him a picture of a team that needs his quality. However, there has been no offer from Barcelona yet, and every week that passes without an offer decreases the amount they will probably offer. Messi has had an offer this week to sign for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League for in excess of 400m euros for one season, as well as an approach from Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
At this point, nobody knows where Messi will end up. His priority is to stay in the elite game until the 2024 Copa America, which puts PSG still in the forefront. However, if the only offer that Messi has got to stay in the elite game is PSG, and he is not fully convinced because of their sporting situation, Barcelona could come in and offer him something less than what he deserves. Messi also has offers from Saudi Arabia and MLS, and it is anyone’s guess as to which one he will choose.