Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi is leaving his current club at the end of the season, as per Fabrizio Romano.
The Argentina World Cup winner was recently suspended from playing for PSG for two weeks following an unauthorized trip for two days in Saudi Arabia, leading to the news that he will not have his contract renewed.
Messi signed an optional third-season clause in his contract when he first arrived in 2021, however, club officials have decided not to activate it. The former Barcelona player, who has a role as a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia, will miss matches against Troyes and Ajaccio but may return for the match against Auxerre on May 21.
Romano continued on social media, stating that the relationship between PSG and Messi was already broken before Messi’s trip to Saudi Arabia, and even more now the decision to not extend his contract has been confirmed.
Messi’s next club has not been confirmed yet, however, fans expect Messi to return to his boyhood club, Barcelona, where the 35-year-old picked up seven Ballon d’Ors during his time there. Rumors have also circulated that Messi could be reunited with his former coach Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, following several links between the player and the club over past seasons.
In other sports news, check out Hypebeast’s recent interview with Liverpool midfielder, Fabio Carvalho.