‘This kind of fake news doesn’t do Leo any good’: Messi’s entourage RUBBISH claims the World Cup winner is heading for a PSG exit with his contract expiring this summer – and insist they ‘don’t want to play games’
Lionel Messi‘s representatives have strongly refuted claims that Paris Saint-Germain are keen to part ways with the World Cup winner this summer, branding the reports ‘fake news’ in a message to the French press.
The 35-year-old superstar, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season, has yet to pen a new deal at the Parc de Princes and has subsequently attracted interest from MLS and Saudi Arabia outfits ahead of the summer transfer window.
Leading French outlets L’Equipe and RMC Sport reported on Tuesday that Messi is most likely to exit the club in the summer, with the latter proposing he would only stay on PSG’s terms and would potentially have to accept a decrease in salary.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal want to bring Messi to the club in the summer in a deal that rise to a reported wage worth £350million-per-year.
Keen not to hamper Messi’s relationship with PSG during their ongoing contract negotiations, the Argentine’s entourage swiftly responded to the claims on Wednesday.
Lionel Messi’s current contract at Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire at the end of the season
Talks of an extension are ongoing between Messi and PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi (centre)
Speaking to French newspaper Le Parisien, they urged: ‘It’s strange to see news about the club wanting to lower Leo’s salary, or not wanting to extend his contract circulate.
‘We don’t want to play this little game. This kind of fake news doesn’t do Leo, nor his relationship with the club, any good. But perhaps that’s exactly what some people want.
‘We won’t make a public statement, but not only is it clear that Leo and the club are negotiating, but the club want Leo to stay, as the manager (Christophe Galtier) recently said.
‘It is therefore strange to see someone divulge something else to the press. What interest do they have in lying? It would be good to ask those that are doing it.’
The PSG superstar has been linked with moves to Al-Hilal, Inter Miami and old club Barcelona
In the wake of his entourage’s comments, ESPN reported on Wednesday that Messi is actively considering a move to Al-Hilal in the summer, keen to follow in the footsteps of fellow all-time great Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved to his suitor’s rivals Al-Nassr in January.
Sources close to the outlet claim that Al-Hilal only viewed the summer swoop as an ‘outside chance’ initially – but have now grown in confidence and believe they have a ’50-50′ shot of landing the veteran, who fronts the Visit Saudi tourism campaign.
Messi’s former club Barcelona, who are hoping to secure a fairytale reunion with the 35-year-old, are entrenched in a host of legal and financial battles as it stands, while fellow interested party Inter Miami would struggle to compete with the salary offered by the Riyadh-based outfit.
Successive defeats in Ligue 1 against Rennes (2-0) and Lyon (1-0) have piled pressure on league leaders PSG and their manager Christophe Galtier, who must win the title at the very least to save his job after crashing out of the Champions League last month.
