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Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are part of Paris Saint-Germain’s plan to try and “seduce” Lionel Messi into leaving Barcelona when his contract expires in the summer and move to the French capital.
Neymar has been sending his former team-mate regular WhatsApp messages “telling him how much he misses him, how unbeatable they would be if he joined the attack or how well they live in Paris,” according to Mundo Deportivo.
Mbappe has also joined in and shared an enigmatic post after PSG knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League. The striker’s intentions weren’t entirely clear but he made his admiration for Messi obvious with a photo of the two in action and the caption, “thanks football to give me this opportunity to live this dream every day.”
The report also states the arrival of Argentine head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who replaced Thomas Tuchel in January, can also be “be interpreted as part of a larger strategy that targets Messi.”
Argentine winger Angel Di Maria, who is also a close friend of Messi’s, has also recently renewed his contract at the Parc des Princes. The 33-year-old has extended his deal for one more year with the option of another.
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PSG Players Told To Stop Messi Talk
PSG players had been happy to talk about Messi publicly this season but that now looks set to stop. Leandro Paredes told Le Journal Du Dimanche that the club had asked him to keep quiet about the Barcelona captain.
“They have asked me not to talk about it anymore. People didn’t like my position on what I was saying. Some people saw it as disrespectful. This was not the case for me,” he explained. “It’s up to Messi to decide calmly at the end of the season what he wants to do with his future.”
Paredes had previously told ESPN that “we all want him to come” when asked about the prospect of Messi moving to Paris. Di Maria and PSG sporting director Leonardo had also spoken about Messi and their comments did not go down well with coach Ronald Koeman or new president Joan Laporta.
Koeman accused the French club of being “disrespectful,” while Laporta told L’Equipe that PSG’s comments were “inappropriate” and added he would be, “curious to know if they will ignore the rules of FFP to recruit him.”
Will Messi Stay at Barcelona?
Of course, there’s still no clear indication of what Messi will do next season. The captain has said previously he will wait to hear what new president Laporta has to say and will make a decision at the end of the current campaign.
Conflicting reports continue to fly about regarding Messi. Journalist Jose Alvarez at El Chiringuito has reported that the Argentina international is “closer than ever to staying at Barcelona.”
However, ESPN Colombia’s Christian Martin claims Messi will not stay despite the arrival of Laporta and adds that PSG and Premier League leaders Manchester City remain the most likely options.
Yet Laporta has been bullish when it comes to Messi and said he hoped the 33-year-old’s decision to vote in the recent presidential elections was a clear sign he will remain at the Camp Nou, as reported by Goal.
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