PSG ready to back out of race to sign Barcelona target on one condition - Reports

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are reportedly willing to back out of the race to sign Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City, giving Barcelona a free run.

Sport suggests PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi will consider other options, as he has decided to concede the race to sign the German.

PSG will instead focus on signing Gundogan's teammate Bernardo Silva, who's also likely to leave the Cityzens in the summer. The Portuguese is also a target for Barcelona but is lower on their priority list, so the two clubs could reach an understanding and let the other have a free run at their preferred player.

Ilkay Gundogan is better suited to Barca's quick ball movement and 'tiki-taka' style of play - something he has experienced for seven years under Pep Guardiola at City. Moreover, his role would be crucial in a relatively young Barca side. The player has also reportedly expressed his desire to don the red and blue.

Silva, meanwhile, could prove to be the ideal piece for the Parisians, who have lacked a player other than Kylian Mbappe to turn things around out of the blue.

The Parisians are likely to pursue Silva as their primary target, leaving Barcelona to compete with Borussia Dortmund for Ilkay Gundogan. It will be interesting to see where the midfielder ends up at.

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Lionel Messi snubs Barcelona after PSG exit

Former Barcelona icon Lionel Messi recently called time on his stint in Paris as he announced that he will not renew his contract with the club. Weeks of speculation and reports later, the Argentine signed for Inter Miami in the MLS. However, his former club were keen on bringing him back.

Barca president Joan Laporta met with Messi, and his father and agent Jorge, to discuss the player's return.

Despite positive talks, there was a belief that Messi's camp still held resentment from the nature of his initial exit from the club in 2021. Moreover, Barca failed to make a timely offer due to their inability to free up their wage structure quickly enough.

That led to Lionel Messi deciding to sign for Inter Miami following his PSG exit, quashing chances of a Camp Nou return.