According to a report from Le Parisien, Ace footballer Lionel Messi has agreed to extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for another year.

Lionel Messi to sign one-year extension with Paris Saint-Germain

As Lionel Messi comes to Paris this week with Barcelona in the Champions League, the inevitable temptation is to think ahead to next season and wonder if the Argentine might be a regular fixture in the French capital.

That remains the nightmare scenario for Barcelona fans, even if their new president Joan Laporta announced following his election victory on Sunday that he was "convinced he wants to stay".

Barcelona, like Real Madrid, fear the threat to their status at the top of the European game posed by Qatar-owned PSG and Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City.

On the evidence of the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, PSG have bypassed Barca. Their 4-1 win at the Camp Nou means it would take a stunning turnaround in Wednesday's return to stop them reaching the quarter-finals.

A move to one of Spain's giants was long seen as the pinnacle for any player, but times have changed, as proven by Neymar's transfer to Paris for a world record 222 million euros ($264m at the time) in 2017.

PSG and City are probably the only likely destinations for Messi should he leave. But could a switch to Paris really happen?

<h2>- 'Reserved a seat just in case' -</h2>

"Great players like Messi will always be on PSG's list," insisted the French champions' sporting director Leonardo in a January interview with France Football magazine.

"We are sat at the big table with all those who are keeping a close eye on it. Well, we are not sat down yet, but we have reserved a seat just in case."

Neymar would be delighted to team up with the Argentine again. "It's what I most want," he told ESPN in December.

PSG would not need to pay a transfer fee, and Messi -- who turns 34 in June -- would be joining a club surely better placed in the short term to win the Champions League.

He would also be teaming up with a coach in Mauricio Pochettino who is a fellow Argentine.

Indeed, Pochettino was born in Murphy in the province of Santa Fe, just 150 kilometres from Messi's home city, Rosario. Both started playing at Newell's Old Boys.

"I have to be careful not to talk about players who are at other clubs," Pochettino said of Messi in an interview with AFP last week.

"In any case it is an easy answer. Great players can play for any team."

Yet Messi does not represent the future. Kylian Mbappe, scorer of a hat-trick in the first leg, does. He is 22, the age Messi was when he won his first Ballon d'Or.

<h2>- New contracts for Mbappe and Neymar? -</h2>

PSG's energy and finances need to be focused on the future of Mbappe and the 29-year-old Neymar.

Both are out of contract at the end of next season. Leonardo recently said a new deal for the Brazilian was "on the right track".

Meanwhile Mbappe has admitted he is still mulling over what to do next.

"I am very happy here. I have always been very happy," he declared recently. "But I want to think about what I want to do in the coming years, where I want to be."

According to documents released in 2018 by Football Leaks, Neymar's existing after-tax salary is 30 million euros ($35.8m) a year while Mbappe's was due to rise to 11 million euros this year. It is safe to assume neither will be taking a wage reduction to stay.

Meanwhile, in January El Mundo published details of Messi's current contract, which it said is worth up to 555 million euros over four years.

PSG are rich but are far from immune to the economic crisis hitting football due to the pandemic and also the collapse of France's domestic television deal.

The latest Deloitte Football Money League put their revenue last season at 540.6 million euros, a drop of almost 100 million on the previous season. According to L'Equipe, PSG expect to lose 204 million euros this season.

Money may have once proven no obstacle for PSG, but the current climate means signing Messi could be beyond even them.

A place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, at Messi's expense, should not be.

As Lionel Messi comes to Paris this week with Barcelona in the Champions League, the inevitable temptation is to think ahead to next season and wonder if the Argentine might be a regular fixture in the French capital.

As Lionel Messi comes to Paris this week with Barcelona in the Champions League, the inevitable temptation is to think ahead to next season and wonder if the Argentine might be a regular fixture in the French capital. That remains the nightmare scenario for Barcelona fans, even if their new president Joan Laporta announced following his election victory on Sunday that he was "convinced he wants to stay". Barcelona, like Real Madrid, fear the threat to their status at the top of the European game posed by Qatar-owned PSG and Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City. On the evidence of the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, PSG have bypassed Barca. Their 4-1 win at the Camp Nou means it would take a stunning turnaround in Wednesday's return to stop them reaching the quarter-finals. A move to one of Spain's giants was long seen as the pinnacle for any player, but times have changed, as proven by Neymar's transfer to Paris for a world record 222 million euros ($264m at the time) in 2017. PSG and City are probably the only likely destinations for Messi should he leave. But could a switch to Paris really happen? - 'Reserved a seat just in case' - "Great players like Messi will always be on PSG's list," insisted the French champions' sporting director Leonardo in a January interview with France Football magazine. "We are sat at the big table with all those who are keeping a close eye on it. Well, we are not sat down yet, but we have reserved a seat just in case." Neymar would be delighted to team up with the Argentine again. "It's what I most want," he told ESPN in December. PSG would not need to pay a transfer fee, and Messi -- who turns 34 in June -- would be joining a club surely better placed in the short term to win the Champions League. He would also be teaming up with a coach in Mauricio Pochettino who is a fellow Argentine. Indeed, Pochettino was born in Murphy in the province of Santa Fe, just 150 kilometres from Messi's home city, Rosario. Both started playing at Newell's Old Boys. "I have to be careful not to talk about players who are at other clubs," Pochettino said of Messi in an interview with AFP last week. "In any case it is an easy answer. Great players can play for any team." Yet Messi does not represent the future. Kylian Mbappe, scorer of a hat-trick in the first leg, does. He is 22, the age Messi was when he won his first Ballon d'Or. - New contracts for Mbappe and Neymar? - PSG's energy and finances need to be focused on the future of Mbappe and the 29-year-old Neymar. Both are out of contract at the end of next season. Leonardo recently said a new deal for the Brazilian was "on the right track". Meanwhile Mbappe has admitted he is still mulling over what to do next. "I am very happy here. I have always been very happy," he declared recently. "But I want to think about what I want to do in the coming years, where I want to be." According to documents released in 2018 by Football Leaks, Neymar's existing after-tax salary is 30 million euros ($35.8m) a year while Mbappe's was due to rise to 11 million euros this year. It is safe to assume neither will be taking a wage reduction to stay. Meanwhile, in January El Mundo published details of Messi's current contract, which it said is worth up to 555 million euros over four years. PSG are rich but are far from immune to the economic crisis hitting football due to the pandemic and also the collapse of France's domestic television deal. The latest Deloitte Football Money League put their revenue last season at 540.6 million euros, a drop of almost 100 million on the previous season. According to L'Equipe, PSG expect to lose 204 million euros this season. Money may have once proven no obstacle for PSG, but the current climate means signing Messi could be beyond even them. A place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, at Messi's expense, should not be.

Messi to Paris: Barcelona's nightmare, and PSG's unattainable dream?

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has slammed Paris Saint-Germain star Angel&nbsp;Di&nbsp;Maria for allegedly trying to unsettle Lionel Messi ahead of the UEFA Champions League&nbsp;round of 16 encounter between the two sides.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Messi is out of contract after the end of the ongoing 2020-21 season and is free to sign pre-contract with non-Spanish clubs with Paris Saint-Germain one of the clubs interested in the Argentine forward. When asked about links of Messi to PSG, Di Maria sounded&nbsp;optimistic as the Argentine said that he hopes PSG sign Messi.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The comments by Di Maria&nbsp;has&nbsp;irked Koeman, who said that the statement "seems to be lack of respect" while terming it as disrespectful towards Barcelona.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Yes, yes, I hope so,"&nbsp;Di Maria said when asked whether Messi could join him in Paris.&nbsp;"There are many possibilities. We have to be calm and things will develop."&nbsp;

&nbsp;"It seems to me to be a lack of respect,"&nbsp;Koeman said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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"It’s wrong to say such of thing, especially ahead of the Champions League game.&nbsp;It’s not fair, and I don’t think it’s respectful toward Barcelona to speak like that about a player who’s ours. They talk a lot about Leo, who plays for Barcelona. Besides, we have a tie against them."&nbsp;

Messi had asked Barcelona to allow him to leave the club last summer but the Argentine ended up staying with the Spanish giants following a public spat with the club's board.&nbsp;

Recently, Koeman had said he was not confident about keeping Messi at&nbsp;Nou&nbsp;Camp.&nbsp;

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"I’m not confident about that,"&nbsp;Koeman told The Athletic.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I’m hopeful, yes, about this because he’s still a great player and he’s still winning matches for us, for the team. I’m enjoying being his coach, if you look at his qualities every day in the training sessions, it’s incredible. Of course, he came as a young kid to Barcelona. And I still don’t see Leo Messi in another shirt other than the Barca shirt."&nbsp;

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has slammed Paris Saint-Germain star Angel Di Maria for allegedly trying to unsettle Lionel Messi ahead of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 encounter between the two sides.

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has slammed Paris Saint-Germain star Angel Di Maria for allegedly trying to unsettle Lionel Messi ahead of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 encounter between the two sides. Messi is out of contract after the end of the ongoing 2020-21 season and is free to sign pre-contract with non-Spanish clubs with Paris Saint-Germain one of the clubs interested in the Argentine forward. When asked about links of Messi to PSG, Di Maria sounded optimistic as the Argentine said that he hopes PSG sign Messi. The comments by Di Maria has irked Koeman, who said that the statement "seems to be lack of respect" while terming it as disrespectful towards Barcelona. "Yes, yes, I hope so," Di Maria said when asked whether Messi could join him in Paris. "There are many possibilities. We have to be calm and things will develop." "It seems to me to be a lack of respect," Koeman said. ALSO READ: Brighton deal huge blow to Liverpool's Premier League title hopes "It’s wrong to say such of thing, especially ahead of the Champions League game. It’s not fair, and I don’t think it’s respectful toward Barcelona to speak like that about a player who’s ours. They talk a lot about Leo, who plays for Barcelona. Besides, we have a tie against them." Messi had asked Barcelona to allow him to leave the club last summer but the Argentine ended up staying with the Spanish giants following a public spat with the club's board. Recently, Koeman had said he was not confident about keeping Messi at Nou Camp. ALSO READ: 'It's always easier when Harry Kane is not playing': Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel on London derby "I’m not confident about that," Koeman told The Athletic. "I’m hopeful, yes, about this because he’s still a great player and he’s still winning matches for us, for the team. I’m enjoying being his coach, if you look at his qualities every day in the training sessions, it’s incredible. Of course, he came as a young kid to Barcelona. And I still don’t see Leo Messi in another shirt other than the Barca shirt."

'It’s not fair...': Ronald Koeman slams PSG's Di Maria for trying to unsettle Lionel Messi

Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has reacted to PSG sporting director Leonardo's public interest on Barcelona megastar Lionel Messi,&nbsp;whose contract expires at the end of ongoing 2020-21 season.&nbsp;

While Pochettino played his cards close to his chest when asked over a potential move for Messi, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss said that "everyone dreams of having the best players with him."&nbsp;

Some of the media reports have stated that Messi could be&nbsp;reunited&nbsp;with former Barcelona teammate Neymar at the Parc des Princes.&nbsp;

"Everyone dreams of having the best players with him," Pochettino told Cadena Ser late on Tuesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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"I have huge respect for the players I have in my team but I must also have respect for players in other teams," the former Tottenham boss, who replaced Thomas Tuchel at the Parc des Princes at the start of this month, added.&nbsp;

Despite moving away from expressing public interest on Messi,&nbsp;Pochettinho&nbsp;said that he has a unique bond with Messi that existed between the two&nbsp;of them, "like love for Newell Old Boys", one of the clubs in Rosario in their homeland.&nbsp;

"Both of us have come from there, I think it's something that strongly unites us, this passion for the red and black (Newell's club&nbsp;colours)."&nbsp;

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&nbsp;Pochettino's comments come after PSG sporting director Leonardo, who had recently told France Football that&nbsp;"the top players like Messi will always be on PSG's radar.&nbsp;

"But obviously now is not the time to talk nor to dream about that.&nbsp;

"Yet we are at the top table of those who are following the case closely."&nbsp;

&nbsp;However, Pochettino played down reports in Spain linking France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe with a move to LaLiga giants Real Madrid.&nbsp;

"I've no doubt about the fact that Kylian loves being in Paris," he said&nbsp;

Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has reacted to PSG sporting director Leonardo's public interest on Barcelona megastar Lionel Messi, whose contract expires at the end of ongoing 2020-21 season.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has reacted to PSG sporting director Leonardo's public interest on Barcelona megastar Lionel Messi, whose contract expires at the end of ongoing 2020-21 season. While Pochettino played his cards close to his chest when asked over a potential move for Messi, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss said that "everyone dreams of having the best players with him." Some of the media reports have stated that Messi could be reunited with former Barcelona teammate Neymar at the Parc des Princes. "Everyone dreams of having the best players with him," Pochettino told Cadena Ser late on Tuesday. ALSO READ: From Messi to Ramos: Football stars who run out of contracts in 2021 "I have huge respect for the players I have in my team but I must also have respect for players in other teams," the former Tottenham boss, who replaced Thomas Tuchel at the Parc des Princes at the start of this month, added. Despite moving away from expressing public interest on Messi, Pochettinho said that he has a unique bond with Messi that existed between the two of them, "like love for Newell Old Boys", one of the clubs in Rosario in their homeland. "Both of us have come from there, I think it's something that strongly unites us, this passion for the red and black (Newell's club colours)." ALSO READ: What has gone wrong in Liverpool's title defence? Pochettino's comments come after PSG sporting director Leonardo, who had recently told France Football that "the top players like Messi will always be on PSG's radar. "But obviously now is not the time to talk nor to dream about that. "Yet we are at the top table of those who are following the case closely." However, Pochettino played down reports in Spain linking France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe with a move to LaLiga giants Real Madrid. "I've no doubt about the fact that Kylian loves being in Paris," he said

Will PSG sign Lionel Messi? Mauricio Pochettino opens up about the move

French giants Paris Saint-Germain have told their stores around the French capital to gear up for a growth in business around shirt sales as PSG grow confident of signing Lionel Messi from Barcelona on a free transfer in the summer transfer window of 2021, according to Football Transfers.

Messi, in 2020, publicly cleared that he is unhappy at Barcelona after staying at Camp Nou for two decades. He was on the verge of leaving Barcelona in summer before legal obligations made him to stay at the Catalan club.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is out of contract at the end of 2020-21 season and is likely to not pen a new deal.

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Barcelona officials have admitted that Messi will require to take a pay cut if he wants to remain at the club with their poor run of form on the pitch pushing Messi away from the Blaugrana.

PSG, along with Manchester City are one of the two clubs ready to pounce on Messi if he decides to move next summer.&nbsp;

PSG have told their partner stores to get ready for a flood of interest ahead of the once in a lifetime deal.

However, it would be interesting to see whether Neymar leaves his no. 10 jersey for Messi if PSG manage to sign the Argentine.

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PSG signing Messi would mean that the French club would be able to field the blockbuster troika of Neymar, Mbappe and Messi and fight more for their dream of lifting the UEFA Champions League.&nbsp;

Before that, PSG will have to face Messi in Barcelona jersey after the two teams were pitted against each other in the Round of 16 of UEFA Champions League 2020-21 season.

French giants Paris Saint-Germain have told their stores around the French capital to gear up for a growth in business around shirt sales as PSG grow confident of signing Lionel Messi from Barcelona on a free transfer in the summer transfer window of 2021, according to Football Transfers.

French giants Paris Saint-Germain have told their stores around the French capital to gear up for a growth in business around shirt sales as PSG grow confident of signing Lionel Messi from Barcelona on a free transfer in the summer transfer window of 2021, according to Football Transfers. Messi, in 2020, publicly cleared that he is unhappy at Barcelona after staying at Camp Nou for two decades. He was on the verge of leaving Barcelona in summer before legal obligations made him to stay at the Catalan club. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is out of contract at the end of 2020-21 season and is likely to not pen a new deal. ALSO READ: Under-fire Arteta vows to stop Arsenal 'blip' Barcelona officials have admitted that Messi will require to take a pay cut if he wants to remain at the club with their poor run of form on the pitch pushing Messi away from the Blaugrana. PSG, along with Manchester City are one of the two clubs ready to pounce on Messi if he decides to move next summer. PSG have told their partner stores to get ready for a flood of interest ahead of the once in a lifetime deal. However, it would be interesting to see whether Neymar leaves his no. 10 jersey for Messi if PSG manage to sign the Argentine. ALSO READ: From taking the knee to joining protests: Athletes who contributed to 'Black Lives Matter' movement PSG signing Messi would mean that the French club would be able to field the blockbuster troika of Neymar, Mbappe and Messi and fight more for their dream of lifting the UEFA Champions League. Before that, PSG will have to face Messi in Barcelona jersey after the two teams were pitted against each other in the Round of 16 of UEFA Champions League 2020-21 season.

Lionel Messi to PSG? French club tell stores to be ready for blockbuster announcement

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Lionel Messi to sign one-year extension with Paris Saint-Germain

Messi to Paris: Barcelona's nightmare, and PSG's unattainable dream?

'It’s not fair...': Ronald Koeman slams PSG's Di Maria for trying to unsettle Lionel Messi

Will PSG sign Lionel Messi? Mauricio Pochettino opens up about the move

Lionel Messi to PSG? French club tell stores to be ready for blockbuster announcement