A section of football fans recently took to Twitter to slam Lionel Messi, labeling his tenure at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as a total failure. This came after renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano announced that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner would leave Les Parisiens at the end of the season.
Lionel Messi joined PSG in August 2021 after he was forced out of FC Barcelona due to the Blaugrana's financial issues. He largely struggled to adapt to his new surroundings, failing to make an individual impact compared to high standards in the past.
The Argentinian ace ended the season with just 11 goals and 14 assists in 34 appearances for PSG last campaign. He failed to reach double-figure league goals for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Despite his shortcomings, Lionel Messi was still able to clinch the Ligue 1 title last season.
The 35-year-old has had a much better showing this season, scoring 20 goals and providing 19 assists in 37 appearances. He is likely to win another league title with PSG, as they are currently first with 75 points. However, in both his seasons, he has failed to advance past the Round of 16 in the Champions League.
Lionel Messi's tenure in the French capital, however, is destined to be overshadowed by his suspension on Tuesday, May 2. Following PSG's 3-1 loss to Lorient, Messi reportedly went against manager Christophe Galtier's wishes and took an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia with his family.
As a result, Les Parisiens suspended him for two weeks without pay. He is also barred from training with the squad. This decision clearly hasn't gone down well with the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner. Fabrizio Romano announced today that Messi will leave the club when his contract expires in the summer. He posted:
Fans quickly slammed Messi, calling him a flop. Their verdicts can be viewed below:
Messi is set to miss the next two Ligue 1 games against Troyes (May 7) and Ajaccio (May 13) due to his suspension.
PSG superstar Lionel Messi plans on eventually joining Al-Hilal: Reports
Lionel Messi may currently be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, however, according to Spanish radio station Onda Cero, he plans to eventually join Al-Hilal.
With Messi most certainly leaving Les Parisiens at the end of the season, the Argentinian ace has been linked with a return to his former club Barcelona. Both parties reportedly want the move to occur and the Blaugrana are trying to make the transfer happen as they struggle with their wage bills.
Onda Cero stated that Messi would be willing to return to Barcelona for only one season. He allegedly wants to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. This would see him rival Cristiano Ronaldo once again, who currently plays for Al-Nassr.
The revelation comes just one month after the Saudi Gazette reported that Al-Hilal offered Messi a staggering €400 million to join them. This would comfortably make him the highest-paid footballer in the world.