Lionel Messi ‘agrees a new contract with PSG’ as Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain prepares to stay at the Parc des Princes until 2024, ending talks over a potential Barcelona return, and its extension also includes the option of one more year.
Lionel Messi has reached an agreement in principle to renew his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, according to Guillem Balague.
Messi’s current contract with PSG is set to expire next summer, which has recently led to talk of a possible return to Barcelona.
Barca president Joan Laporta has publicly expressed his willingness to bring the World Cup-winning Argentine captain back to the Camp Nou, but Messi is believed to stay in Paris for another year.
Lionel Messi has reached an agreement in principle to renew his contract with Paris Saint-Germain
Messi, who won the World Cup with Argentina last week, will stay at PSG until 2024
It is understood that he has agreed to a renewal that also includes the option of a further year if he wishes to remain at PSG until 2025.
Balagué told BBC Sport: ‘Practically everything is in agreement with PSG. Barcelona has not approached him or his father to offer them anything.
So it’s not that Messi doesn’t want to return to Barcelona. He has not been asked the question.
“Messi is happy with everything and when he returns from vacation the agreement will speed up.
Messi has spent the last 18 months at the Parc des Princes after signing for PSG in 2021
Now he must stay for another year after agreeing to extend his current contract.
That will be a blow to Barcelona boss Joan Laporta, who wanted to re-sign the superstar.
His life in Paris is balanced, happy, everyone enjoys it and he has a real chance of winning the Champions League again. In addition, she will help him become a candidate for the Ballon d’Or again.’
Messi, who has spent the last 18 months at PSG, finally clinched the World Cup in the fifth time he asked for it last weekend, scoring twice in Argentina’s win over France.
The first international award was the only major honor missing from his legendary resume, which means he can now retire from football having won it all.
Laporta will be disappointed to learn of his renewal with PSG, as it opened the door for the Barca icon to return for a second season in Catalonia.
“With the issue of Messi we cannot generate expectations,” Laporta told Barça TV. Messi is a PSG player and has a contract with them.
They have won the World Cup and the culés have been very happy. What I do not want is to generate expectations that at this moment are very difficult.
For us he is the best player of all time, we have had him here and I am convinced that in his heart he is culé and will always be linked to Barça.
“Whether he returns as a player or not, at the moment he is at PSG and we would love for him to return one day, but we’ll see.”
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