Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is overseeing a change in approach at the club which is likely to see Lionel Messi leave at the end of his contract this summer – with the futures of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe also likely to come under scrutiny.
Mirror Football exclusively reported that the club are no longer prioritising a new deal for Messi, who is out of contract this summer. Barcelona will attempt to sign the Argentine superstar this summer but the Catalan club’s well-documented financial issues, coupled with Messi’s desire to remain in Europe, may see negotiations with PSG resumed in the summer.
Al-Khelaifi is intent on the club refocusing their strategy to prioritise signing the best French footballers and a greater emphasis on playing youngsters who have been developed by the club, who are opening a new state-of-the-art academy this year.
This process actually started a year ago; the club appointed Frenchman Christophe Galtier to replace Mauricio Pochettino and of their six summer arrivals, the eldest was 26-year-old Fabian Ruiz. There were also a multitude of players exits at the first-team squad was slimmed down.
Many of those departures were loan deals with the club open to listening to offers for permanent deals this summer for those not out of contract. The list of loanees includes Mauro Icardi, Georginio Wijnaldum, Keylor Navas, Leandro Paredes and Ander Herrera.
Yet the headline news from the club last summer was the renewal of Mbappe’s contract on a two-year deal plus the option to extend for an extra year, through to 2025. PSG were insistent that the Parisian would be the icon of their medium-term future – a local talent to be the poster boy for the club and what they want to position themselves as.
Have Your Say! Which Premier League club do you think could sign Neymar this year? Tell us what you think here.
The club will not countenance his exit this summer, which Mbappe is not currently pushing for in any case, but PSG are alert of how close they came to losing him as a free agent to Real Madrid last summer. They will be wary of a possible repeat of his contractual status with hope of a longer-term agreement with any future exit being on the terms of the club and player.
The future of Neymar may be more of a pressing issue this summer; the 31-year-old has suffered another campaign blighted by injuries. One of the club’s top earners who carries a high status, he remains the most expensive player in the world following his £198million switch from Barcelona in 2017.
PSG are unlikely to repeat those high-profile deals under their new internal direction and that leads to uncertainty over the Brazilian’s future. Chelsea owner Todd Boehly held a meeting earlier this year to probe Neymar’s availability, and that interest may be rekindled this summer.
There is believed to be interest in Neymar from at least one other Premier League club, but there may not be many options for the former Barca star’s exit this summer. He is at the stage of his career, increasingly blighted by injury issues, that this may be viewed as his last opportunity for a big-money transfer.
PSG will be aware of the possible ramifications if both Messi and Neymar should leave in the one summer, as it would require several talented incomings, but that possibility cannot be ruled out. It would be a clear statement of their new direction and focus on moving away from stars and status.
