Lionel Messi to leave PSG at the end of the season

Paris Saint-Germain will allow attacker Lionel Messi to walk away for free at the end of the season, according to RMC Sport.

Unless PSG’s Qatari owners prioritise his extension, there is no sign he will continue with them.

The club wanted to agree an extension with Messi before and during the 2022 World Cup, but his performances have dropped since returning.

PSG fans booed Messi ahead of their clash with Lyon this weekend. He produced a forgettable performance as Les Parisiens lost to Les Gones.

The French giants have now lost twice as many games in 2023 (eight) as in 2022 (four).

It does not help that Messi’s entourage is pushing for a better contract after his World Cup success.

PSG already have one of the highest wage bills in the world. They have run into Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues and getting rid of Messi’s salary makes sense.

Sporting director Luis Campos wants to break up the club’s superstar attacking line. Kylian Mbappe is crucial to them, but Messi and Neymar are dispensible.

It now looks likely that Messi will leave the Ligue 1 club this summer. Neymar has a longer contract than Messi, but they tried to sell him last summer and could try again this year.

Head coach Christophe Galtier could also leave the club after an abysmal second half of the campaign.

The season had started brilliantly for him, but the squad’s imbalance and injury issues have derailed their charge. The former Lille manager must win his next two games to keep himself in the job.

However, his future does not lie with PSG as they will sack him at the end of the season. 

France icon Zinedine Zidane is their first choice to replace Galtier.