Lionel Messi will remain in Paris Saint-Germain next season, according to a report, despite speculation linking the Argentine midfielder with a shadowy return to Barcelona.
The 34-year-old joined PSG last summer and was forced to leave Camp Nou due to financial constraints there, which have recently begun to decline.
Messi was expected to win in Ligue 1, but since moving to France he has not played at all the level he reached while at Barça – he has scored just eight goals in all competitions so far, despite having 13 assistants. .
That did not stop a handful of teammates and club president Joan Laporta from talking about returning to Barcelona, where Messi spent 17 years full of trophies.
However, Laporta has changed his song, and now Mundo Deportivo writes that the player has decided to ‘continue’ in the French capital anyway.
The report says Messi was shocked by speculation about his future and the thought of leaving this summer had not yet crossed his mind. The Argentine player has one year left on his contract and intends to honor him.
Even PSG’s victory in the Last 16 of the Champions League against Real Madrid is not said to have made Messi want to leave, and he believes he can guide Les Parisiens to the glory of the competition next season.
La Pulga also knows he will have to step up his game, with Kylian Mbappe likely to leave Parc des Princes on a free transfer to Real Madrid this summer.
