| Will both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé depart PSG this summer?
The 20 players most likely to be included in elite teams' 2023 transfer plans in French football are listed in this feature's last installment. Here on GFFN, you can read every item and view the complete summary.
Numerous clubs follow cycles. This was an intentional tactic for some, like as Monaco, who saw groups of players leave following significant success under vice-president Vadim Vasilyev. Others regenerate using more organic methods,
similar to how Sir Alex Ferguson accomplished it at Manchester United. But since QSI acquired PSG, escalation has been the only objective and era. But that might have to alter shortly.
PSG's generosity peaked with the acquisition of Lionel Messi last summer and the enormous new contract signed by Kylian Mbappé a year later. Paris' "Supergalacicos" policy can no longer be expanded upon after securing the medium-term services of the sport's current leading star and probably the greatest player to ever play the game. Where else can one go? The sport now lacks true alternatives for the current crop of celebrity strikers, with the exception of Mbappé and possibly Erling Haaland, who are all well into their 30s.
However, the pinnacle may not last long in Paris. Given the uncertainty around Messi and Mbappé's futures, next summer will be a pivotal time. At the conclusion of the current season, Messi's two-year contract in France expires. Although negotiations for a new deal have begun, there is no assurance that the 35-year-old will sign one. Meanwhile, speculations that Mbappé regrets his choice to accept that new contract and is considering moving on in 2023 have been all over the French media.
Even while both players' continuing participation at the Qatar World Cup will be seen positively by PSG's Qatari owners, their departure would be extremely detrimental to the team both on and off the field. PSG might finally be compelled to begin a new cycle.
Paris' sports adviser.
Messi has already been informed that Luis Campos wants him to wear a PSG jersey the following season. Campos is personally handling the contract negotiations, which are still in their early stages. Messi hasn't revealed his plans yet, though. Messi is said to be loving life in France and is open to staying for at least one more season, despite first finding it difficult to adjust after having lived in Barcelona since his mid-teens.
However, Messi's focus is still on the World Cup, which is most likely going to be his last. A victory there would solidify his status as possibly the greatest player in sports history, and no decisions will be made until after the competition.
Messi won't likely be able to sign a pre-contract with another team until January 1st because the final is on December 18th. Barcelona has been open about wanting to return home, despite the fact that the cost is probably exorbitant.
Messi's sole real goal is to win the Champions League once more after Qatar. The attacker has become increasingly impatient to win it again in the eight seasons since he last won one of his four championships with Barcelona, similar to how QSI and PSG have done. If Messi waits until the summer to make a decision, winning the Champions League with PSG (who are in a stronger position than ever) would lead him to believe that his time in Paris and perhaps all of European football is up.
When he turns 36 in June, he might theoretically decide to retire at the top.
Although Paco Gento of Real Madrid has six European Cups, Messi's recent stellar play shows he's far from done, and should Mbappé find a way out of Paris and that record-equaling fifth Champions League continue to elude him, Messi may decide that another move would be best for him to achieve his objectives. Other prospective suitors in England could yet make an approach as Barcelona is not yet in a position to present a strong challenge.
Mbappé's intentions, on the other hand, are far less clear. Long-term suitors Real Madrid, for instance, may be concerned that the player's advisors have informed them about their client's wish to depart in an effort to exert pressure.
The 23-year-old was allegedly given increased standing within the organization as a result of that new contract last summer, giving him a voice in hiring and decision-making. For instance, Campos' hiring was first discussed during contract talks because Mbappé was friends with the sporting director after the two met at Monaco.
As hinted at in his now-famous "pivotgang" Instagram post, Mbappé wants to play alongside a more conventional number nine rather than being utilized as the "pivot" forward himself. The striker said, "Different things are demanded of me here than with regard to my club," when serving with France in September.
Here, I have a lot more freedom. Mbappé added that he has never asked to leave PSG, which was skillfully phrased to evade the question of whether he really wants to go or not.
This week, Zlatan Ibrahimovi reprimanded Mbappé, telling him to "stop up and know his pace." This shows how inflated Mbappé's sense of self is becoming. Although his increasingly arrogant behavior is disappointing, anyone's ego would be affected by being given unprecedented power within your club, being asked by the president of the nation to stay in your current position due to national importance, and signing the most expensive sports contract ever. Ironically, PSG probably couldn't have hired Mbappé this summer if it hadn't been for that enormous €630 million contract.
Given PSG's recent success and the quality of Christophe Galtier's team, Mbappé's alleged motivations for purportedly wanting to leave appear nearly absurd, but his recent arrogance implies that such a thought process is at least conceivable. Theoretically, if PSG wins the Champions League, Mbappé might take Messi's path of completing his goals at PSG before moving on to other challenges.
Given that PSG's squad is still designed to win today, even after Campos has started to make adjustments, the potential joint departure of both players could result in a catastrophe. Messi and Mbappé absent,
Paris may finally be forced to begin a new cycle beyond continual escalation as several more veteran players reach or beyond 30. Even more uncertain than the future of their star attackers is the specifics of that new PSG era.
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