WHAT HAPPENED? Messi has been strongly linked with a return to Barcelona ahead of the summer transfer window, while speculation over a possible move to Real Madrid for Mbappe refuses to go away. It has been suggested that both men could be lured away from Parc des Princes after another season of failure in the Champions League for PSG, but Al-Khelaifi has vowed that the club will do everything possible to ensure Messi and Mbappe remain in Paris for at least one more year.
WHAT THEY SAID: “We are lucky to have some of the best players in the world, who wanted to play for PSG despite receiving offers from other clubs,” Al-Khelaifi told Spanish media outlet Marca.
“We are working to keep them going. We are going to analyse what we are doing and make sure we can continue with them; we want to do things accordingly. We are not going to make mistakes.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Messi is set to become a free agent in the summer and PSG have yet to agree an extension with the 35-year-old, who has also been linked with MLS and Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal. Mbappe’s future is also up in the air despite him signing a bumper new contract last summer, though it has been reported that Real Madrid are now prioritising a move for Manchester City’s Erling Haaland over the Frenchman.
WHAT NEXT FOR PSG? It remains to be seen whether PSG can hold onto their biggest names this summer. Neymar is another elite player who could depart, despite signing a new deal in 2021.
