Having started the season in a fashion reminiscent of when he wore the Blaugrana jersey, Lionel Messi sees his contract with the Ile-de-France club coming to an end soon. At 35 years old, questions persist about whether the captain of Argentina will extend his time in Paris and, if he doesn't, where he will go next.
Performance-wise, the former Barça star has met expectations of late. Despite a very complicated first season, this campaign he has 5 goals and 7 assists in 10 matches, so far, in all competitions.
The other major consideration for both him and the club to take into account will be his age and his ability on the pitch going forward. Can he continue to have regular and impactful performances over 35?
Inevitably, the Parisian management and Messi will have to discuss that amongst other things.
There is only one month of club competition left before the 2022 World Cup begins. A trophy that is close to the heart of the Argentinian, knowing that it will almost certainly be his last World Cup.
Dreaming of stitching a third star on the Argentine jersey and now focusing on that objective, Messi will reflect after Qatar upon his club future. As mentioned, his current contract in Paris expires in June 2023.
Several options are reportedly on the table but an extension at the French champions is still uncertain.
Far from the ideal personal and sporting conditions
"Since he arrived at PSG, I wouldn't say that Messi is doing badly, but he doesn't have the same life he had in Barcelona," a source close to the Argentinian's entourage told Flashscore News. Information that was revealed by El Confidencial last February.
Messi's first season in Paris was complicated from a personal point of view. Argentina's number 10 had to adjust to a new life in a new country. From the climate in Paris to the distance he has to travel to training or pick up his children from school, his habits have had to change, which has been difficult for him.
What's more, the Argentinian was disturbed by certain decisions taken by the club during the transfer window. The sales of some players with whom he got on well did not satisfy him, notably those of compatriots Di Maria and Leandro Paredes - facts that have strained his relationship with the Paris Saint-Germain hierarchy. In addition, the size of the role that Kylian Mbappe takes up in the Parisian project renders the place of the little Argentine genius slightly less essential.
It is for these various reasons that Messi does not see himself in Paris for an extended period of time, according to our information. The Argentinian, who will stay until the end of his contract with the capital club, will think about his future after the World Cup, once he has taken some more time to reflect upon it all.
On this subject, this Thursday, Lionel Messi confessed to Direct TV, "It will depend on how I feel personally and, above all, physically. After this World Cup, we will see what can happen career-wise."
Inevitably, on the table, is the option of a return to FC Barcelona as relations between his father Jorge Horacio Messi and President Joan Laporta have reportedly improved since his controversial departure.
See you in 2023 for a new episode in the soap opera that is sure to ensue.
