Lionel Messi remains Paris Saint-Germain 's top priority after the club rejected the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
While the 35-year-old's first season in the French capital was more challenging than many anticipated, Messi still notched 11 goals and 15 assists as PSG reclaimed the Ligue 1 title at a canter. With the Argentine's £617,000-a-week contract set to expire in 12 months' time, the Parisians are preparing to offer him a new deal in a bid to keep him at the Parc des Princes beyond next June 2023.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, PSG have told Messi that they'd like him to remain in France until 2024, although a formal offer is yet to be made. It's added in the report that the French champions would have to wait until after the World Cup later this year before their superstar makes a decision. But what's already been decided is their stance on his eternal rival, Ronaldo, who recently offered himself to PSG after handing in a bombshell transfer request at Manchester United.
Despite their eye-watering cash reserves, the Ligue 1 giants don't have room in their wage budget to afford Ronaldo, nor would it be wise for the team to harbour another ageing forward who needs catering to - just like Messi. PSG are instead looking to the future this summer when it comes to signings, as opposed declining superstars, having seen how Sergio Ramos also struggled in his first term.
Ronaldo's desire to leave Old Trafford and still compete at the top of European football hasn't been met by an adequate suitor thus far, with agent Jorge Mendes scrambling around the transfer market to find his client's next destination. The 37-year-old is desperate to play Champions League football, explaining why Chelsea and Bayern Munich - both clubs who Mirror Football understands are not interested in signing him - have also been contacted by his trusted agent.
New United manager Erik ten Hag, at least publicly, is still planning to have Ronaldo in his squad for the 2022-23 campaign, despite the ex- Real Madrid talisman's absence from pre-season due to "family reasons."
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Meanwhile, back in Paris, Messi remains the jewel of PSG's crown - certainly commercially. Over the course of last season, 60 per cent of the club's shirt sales were down to him, more than big-name teammates Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. With Christoph Galtier taking over from Mauricio Pochettino as boss on a two-year deal, PSG remain one of the most ambitious teams in world football and are desperate to finally get their hands on an elusive Champions League crown.
Galtier's appointment was somewhat of a surprise given that Zinedine Zidane and Antonio Conte were both touted for the job, but the Frenchman's sterling work with Saint-Etienne, Lille and Nice prompted PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to snap him up.
After a decade of mega-money signings following their Qatari-backed takeover in 2012, Al-Khelaifi feels that it's time for a change of approach, having previously been accused of preferring style over substance. "Today we must be realistic," the Parc des Princes head honcho declared. "We don't want flashy, bling-bling any more, it's the end of the glitter."
Al-Khelaifi also laid out fresh expectations for the club's players, who've been accused of a lack of discipline in recent years, leading to humiliating defeats both domestically and in the Champions League. "No one is above the club," the Doha-born supremo added. "If a player doesn't want to respect the rules in place then he has no place here."
