PSG ready to bid farewell to Neymar, Messi
According to Foot Mercato, PSG have "run out of patience" and are preparing to put Neymar on the transfer list when the transfer window opens. The leadership of the Parc des Princes made this decision because of Neymar's declining performance after the 2022 World Cup.
Neymar scored 17 and assisted 16 goals in 27 PSG games this season. But the Brazilian striker only scored twice after returning from the 2022 World Cup, in the 1-1 draw with Reims in Ligue 1 on January 29 and the 7-0 victory over US Pays de Cassel in the round of 16 of the Cup. France on the evening of January 23. He also received a red card for cheating in the win over Strasbourg on December 28.
The culmination came in the defeat to Monaco in the 23rd round of Ligue 1 on January 11, when Neymar made an internal stir. He criticized teammates Vitinha and Hugo Ekitike on the pitch, then got into a heated argument with Sporting Director Luis Campos in the dressing room after the game. The Qatari owners are said to be "tired" of seeing the same problems appear season after season, regardless of who the head coach is, and want to liquidate Neymar.
According to Foot Mercato, the contract extension with Messi is another "painful" issue for PSG. Before the 2022 World Cup, the Argentine star was given an agreement to sign an additional year with PSG, until June 2024, with the option to extend until June 2025. But Foot Mercato insists Messi can change his mind and will wait for PSG's results in the Champions League before finalizing his future.
Messi has only four months left on his contract with PSG and is free to negotiate with other clubs. Having played for Barca for two decades could be the factor that spurred the 35-year-old striker to return to Spain. MLS clubs Inter Miami and Newell's Old Boys are also said to be interested in recruiting Messi.
"In case Neymar and Messi also leave, PSG will start a new era," commented Foot Mercato. President Nasser Al-Khelaifi warned of marking the beginning of a new era in June 2022, saying: "We no longer want glitz and glamor, it's the end of the world. twinkle".
Kylian Mbappe's future is also unclear, although the French striker has just extended his contract with PSG until 2025 with a weekly salary of $815,000. "At the moment, my focus is on the second World Cup of my career. After that I don't know," Mbappe refused to commit his future to PSG in November 2022, and has not yet updated about the future. future.
The bad news related to PSG came right before the match against Bayern in the first leg of the 18th round of the Champions League on the evening of February 14. However, the French capital club also received good news about the force, when Mbappe and Messi returned to practice and were named on the list of PSG matches. Mbappe injured his left thigh muscle in the 3-1 win over Montpellier on February 1 and was told to take a three-week break, while Messi had a hamstring problem in the 1-2 defeat to Marseille on February 8.
