Lionel Messi was booed by Paris Saint-Germain fans on Saturday night after making his return from a two-week suspension.
Speculation over Messi's future has been rife after the 35-year-old was punished by his club for making an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia at the start of the month.
The trip to the Middle East, which was a pre-arranged commercial commitment, saw Messi miss training after PSG head coach Christophe Galtier hauled his side in on their day off following a chastening 3-1 loss against Lorient. However, Galtier had no qualms about selecting Messi for the 5-0 win over Ajaccio - and disgruntled PSG fans made their feelings clear to the Argentine superstar.
Home supporters loudly jeered when Messi's name was announced over the tannoy before the match and then the Parc des Princes faithful launched another verbal volley towards the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner when he first touched the ball. Kylian Mbappe bagged a brace for the hosts as Ajaccio were relegated from Ligue 1.
Messi issued an apology to fans and his teammates last Friday after learning on his suspension to the club, but that hasn't appeared to have won over many fans as the former Barcelona man gears up for a summer exit.
The two-year deal that Messi penned after his shock exit from the Nou Camp back in 2021 is due to expire in the coming weeks, with no new agreement on the horizon. Mirror Football exclusively revealed last month that Messi would run down his contract and leave Paris.
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Messi has been tipped to follow Cristiano Ronaldo's lead by moving to the Middle East, with Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal firmly in the mix to acquire the sought-after megastar. Barcelona are also believed to be keen on striking an emotional agreement to bring Messi back home but it remains to be seen if they have the financial capacity to do so.
Al-Hilal are reportedly willing to hand Messi a lucrative package worth a staggering £320million-a-year to join them: a deal which would eclipse Ronaldo's £172m-a-year agreement with Al-Nassr and make Messi the highest-paid footballer in the world.
There were claims earlier this week that Messi's move to Saudi Arabia was a 'done deal', but Messi's father - and agent - Jorge Messi, took to social media with a statement to try and cool speculation.
"There's absolutely nothing with no club for next year," Messi Sr wrote on Instagram. "The decision will not be taken before Lionel finishes the league with PSG. Once the season is finished, that will be the time to analyse and see what there is, and then take a decision."
