Lionel Messi is set to be ‘abandoned’ at Paris Saint-Germain as the club prepare to make massive changes to the playing squad this summer.
Things have not gone to plan for the Argentine superstar following on from his high-profile summer transfer from the Camp Nou last year. Messi has netted just three goals across 22 domestic appearances for Les Parisiens this campaign and he was unable to prevent PSG’s Champions League Round of 16 exit against Real Madrid – when he saw his first leg penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois. The following Ligue 1 match after that, when PSG clashed with Bordeaux, saw both Messi and his teammate Neymar booed by PSG fans.
Messi landed a record-breaking seventh Ballon d'Or title by scooping the 2021 accolade before ranking second behind Robert Lewandowski in the 2021 FIFA Best Men's Player awards later in the season, but his regression in overall output has been notable and undeniable. Recent reports have indicated that Messi is unhappy in Paris as he has failed to settle in the city and at the club for multiple reasons.
The club are now risking alienating Messi further by isolating the player from a large part of his current social group at the club. The 34-year-old is one of four Argentine internationals in the squad at Parc des Princes, but his three compatriots may be moved on this summer.
Angel di Maria is a near-certainty to exit the club with the playmaker’s contract in the French capital expiring this summer. The former Manchester United player has only been a starter in five games in 2022 and PSG has no intention of renewing him despite the fact that he has a clause in his contract to extend his link to the club for another year in case both parties agree. Di Maria has made more assists for PSG than any other player in their history.
The two other Argentines in the squad also face deeply uncertain futures. The form of striker Mauro Icardi has nosedived in recent months and the club would be willing to take a hit on the £25million they invested in his transfer fee to shift him from the squad this year. That is as outlined by French media outlet L’Equipe.
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Midfielder Leandro Paredes has a close personal relationship with Messi and has been described as the superstar's ‘guard dog’, but he has failed to make a long-term starting place at the club his own, despite his prominence rising under coach Mauricio Pochettino. Paredes may be another who the club decide to cash-in on this summer to cut costs, the report adds.
All that would leave Messi as the only Argentine player remaining at the club, with the report adding that it would feel like he is being isolated and ‘abandoned’ by those who are moving on.
