Argentine talisman Lionel Messi has reportedly advised his former teammate Kylian Mbappe to leave Paris Saint-Germain and join Spanish giants Real Madrid. This came as a surprise to many as Madrid are the fierce rivals of Messi’s former club FC Barcelona, where he spent the majority of his illustrious career. According to Defensa Central, Messi said he would prefer for Mbappe to join the Blaugrana, should he leave PSG, however, if the latter’s heart beats for Madrid, then so be it.
Source: AP
Messi Deals Dual Blow
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s comment could be seen as a dig at PSG, where he was often treated harshly by the fans before he left to join American outfit Inter Miami this month. La Pulga reportedly asked the French ace to join a club with a “real, winning project” which he apparently suggests, PSG lack. Messi’s advice would also not sit well with Barcelona fans who would not want their arch-rivals to get their hands on arguably the best player in the world.
Argentina’s captain and several other star signings joined the French capital in 2021 from Barcelona. Expectations were high amongst the PSG faithful, however, after two disappointing early knockouts from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively, the fans’ wrath came down, especially on Messi and the Brazilian superstar Neymar.
Things turned uglier when Messi inspired Argentina to a historic win over France in the final of the 2022 World Cup. Eventually, announcements of the forward’s name invited loud jeers from the PSG fans. PSG’s premature exits from the UCL were a collective failure but it was Messi who had to bear the brunt of their supporters’ outrage. Mbappe, too, recently criticized the French supporters for their treatment of Messi. Ultras also previously protested in front of Messi and Neymar’s houses. Messi rejected PSG’s offer to extend his contract till 2025 and chose the U.S. as his next destination.
Madrid Favorites
Real Madrid remain the favorites to sign Mbappe from PSG as the Frenchman could be heading in Messi’s direction by not triggering a contract extension at PSG. Mbappe’s current contract runs out in 2024 and although he has insisted that he would play for his current team till then, the officials of the French club face a great dilemma.
Source: Britannica
If the French Superstar does not sign a new contract, it would mean that PSG would have to let one of the most expensive players in the world go for free. Real Madrid came close to cracking the deal last year before Mbappe signed a sensational deal at his present club. They still remain confident, however, as one of the few clubs who could afford the hefty price tag of the superstar. The fact that Mbappe idolized former Los Blancos icon Cristiano Ronaldo in the past could also help them land him at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Reports from the PSG Community claim that PSG’s owner, the Emir of Qatar has handed Mbappe with an ultimatum where he is told that he would be sold this summer should he not sign an extension. PSG, under the Emir, have been known to hold dearly on to their star players by rejecting vast sums of money from other clubs. They have successfully blocked Marco Verratti and Neymar’s transfers to Barcelona and convinced Mbappe to remain in Paris but present circumstances mean they are left with no alternative but to negotiate with Madrid.
