Paris Saint Germain are pushing Lionel Messi to make a decision on whether he is staying in France beyond this season, sources have confirmed to 90min.
The 35-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, but he and his representatives always insisted he would not be rushed into making a decision – as 90min revealed in October.
However, following his triumphant World Cup campaign, which resulted in him getting his hands on the biggest prize in world football, PSG made immediate moves to secure his long-term future.
A broad agreement over a one-year deal, which would include an option for another 12 months, is understood to be in place, but as yet there is no indication that Messi is ready to sign and further talks are planned.
90min understands that Messi and his family are happy in Paris, but they are considering whether they should stay or not.
And there are other options available to Messi, one of those being David Beckham’s Inter Miami, who have never hidden their desire to land him, and they still have a Designated Player slot available for this year which would allow them to push through a deal for the Argentine.
Messi has previously admitted his desire to play in Major League Soccer and he openly admits to loving the Miami area, but it remains to be seen if now is the time as 90min understands Messi thinks he still has something to give in European football,
With that, the other significant option in Europe if Messi does leave Paris is a return to Spain with his beloved Barcelona, who have long made it clear they would love a reunion with their all-time top goalscorer.
One major issue is that Messi does not have the strongest relationship with current Barça president Joan Laporta, but there remains a chance a deal could be done, such is the lure of the club to Messi.
Laporta has made it clear he would welcome Messi back to Camp Nou in recent weeks and sources have confirmed to 90min that he is doing everything behind the scenes to convince the veteran forward to return.
PSG are fully aware of the lure that Barça have when it comes to Messi, but they remain hopeful they can persuade him to extend his stay in the French capital.
Source: 90min.com
