According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Leo Messi has decided to leave PSG. His father reportedly informed the club about the decision a month ago. Meanwhile, “L’Equipe” reports a massive offer from Saudi Arabia, which could make Messi the highest-paid player in football history. Another option could be a return to FC Barcelona.
If the highly reputable Fabrizio Romano is writing about Messi’s departure from PSG with such certainty, an official announcement is likely just a formality. The Italian journalist is convinced that Messi will leave Paris at the end of the season. PSG apparently learned about the decision from Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, a month ago.
“Messi will leave Paris Saint-Germain after this season. There is no doubt about it anymore. Behind the scenes, it is already known that Leo’s father, Jorge, informed PSG about the decision a month ago in connection with the project. That was the final key point,” said Romano.
Talk of Messi’s return to Barcelona has been circulating for a while. Spanish journalist Eduardo Inda recently spoke about the behind-the-scenes details of the Argentinian’s return to Camp Nou on the program “El Chiringuito.” He revealed that Messi gave an ultimatum to the Catalan officials, demanding to play as a centre forward. If that were to happen, the 35-year-old would replace Robert Lewandowski in that position. Barcelona must now make another important decision. In the event of Messi’s transfer to the club, will they leave the Polish striker in the squad? Even if that is the plan, the captain of the Polish national team may not want to settle for a substitute role in the La Liga team.
However, the latest reports indicate that Messi may not return to Barcelona after all. “L’Equipe” reports that he could earn the most money in the history of football by moving to Saudi Arabia. Al-Hilal could offer him a multi-year contract and Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano previously reported earnings of up to 400 million euros per year.
Journalist Rudy Galetti also revealed on Twitter that Messi and Al-Hilal met on May 1st to discuss the club’s offer. However, the road to his final decision is still long. Messi has been in the spotlight lately for his controversial trip to Saudi Arabia, which angered PSG officials, leading to his suspension for two weeks.
It remains to be seen where Messi will play next season, but it is certain that his departure from PSG will be a significant loss for the club.