Argentina forward Lionel Messi, whose deal with PSG runs out in the summer, is unsure about signing a contract extension with the French champions, which could open the door to the 35-year-old moving to MLS side Inter Miami. (L’Equipe, via Mail)

The former Barcelona man’s current deal is up at the end of this campaign, so he is into the final six months of his contract which means that he is free to discuss potential moves with other clubs.

It had been thought that PSG had an option to extend Messi’s deal by an additional year but it appears that the Ligue 1 leaders would actually need to discuss fresh contractual details.

You might recall that Messi receives part of his salary in cryptocurrency — a soccer first at the time — and terms such as those might need to be revised along with his basic pay and bonuses.

Messi’s form has been much better this term than in his first season as a player with the French capital outfit. The South American has been more productive and currently has 14 goals and 14 assists with his name with Les Parisiens. PSG went all-out to extend Kylian Mbappe’s contract last year and have been limited financially since then so that is a significant economic consideration when debating Messi’s future.

Despite a difficult adaptation period to life after Barca and Catalonia, Messi is happier now than he ever has been in France. Not only is his family settled but the man from Rosario is playing some of the best soccer of this later period of his career. Given how year two is going overall, it is no surprise that both PSG and Messi would be open to a third campaign together. That does not automatically mean that there will be one, though.

At the end of the day, Messi is free to speak with other clubs who could put in an offer which the French giants would be powerless to prevent. However, 36 this summer, the Argentine arguably only has one or two more moves left and one of those potentially being a return to childhood club Newell’s Old Boys suggests that his next one will take him out of Europe. Is Messi ready to leave the UEFA Champions League just yet when he is still building a strong case for an eighth Ballon d’Or? That much is far from certain.

Former club Barca and Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami have been strongly linked with moves but both present major hurdles. The Catalan giants remain in financial turmoil which was the reason why Messi was forced to leave Camp Nou in the first place. David Beckham’s MLS side are very much in transition and would probably need a few more high-profile names in order to make the sporting aspect of any potential as attractive as the lure of the Miami lifestyle.

Reading between the lines, another year or so in Europe appears to be the most probable solution for Messi’s future right now. If it is literally a question of where he plays his soccer next season, then it makes little to no sense to potentially only move somewhere else for a single campaign when his PSG move needed his second term to hit form.

Talks between Messi and PSG will take place in the coming weeks and could result in an agreement for Messi to continue with the French champions for at least one more year before moving on.

 

Per insider Fabrizio Romano, those discussions will take place between mid-February and the end of the month. An extension of one to two years would be music to Ligue 1’s ears given his importance in potentially helping to secure a new and improved international and domestic TV deal.