“He’s happy in Paris” – PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi makes confident claim about Lionel Messi amid rumors of Barcelona return

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has insisted that Lionel Messi is happy at the club. He hinted that the Argentine will stay in Paris beyond the summer window amid interest from Barcelona.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is heading towards the end of his PSG contract, which expires in June 2023, and will be free to talk to other clubs from January. However, the Ligue1 side have the option to extend his current deal by another season and could activate it soon.

Speaking to talkSPORT on Monday, Al-Khelaifi claimed Messi was happy in Paris, and there were no talks of a return to Barcelona. He sounded confident about keeping the forward at the club beyond this season and said:

"He is with us. He is a Paris Saint-Germain player and has a contract with us. He has a contract with us and we will see at the end of the season. He's happy in Paris."

Speaking about the huge investments at the club, he said:

"The club and people are always talking about Paris Saint-Germain and think we have just money and spend money… that's not true. If you own a company then you need to inject money and that's about business and football. We bought the club for €70m and now it's worth over €4bn. We have different offers."

He continued:

"Yes, it's a fantastic business and are we doing a good project? I believe yes. In football you take decisions and you can decide the wrong decisions. We are also honest, we are doing our best. We brought the club from where we were to where we are today and I think we should be proud."

Barcelona target Lionel Messi yet to decide PSG future

Lionel Messi has admitted that he is undecided about his future at the club and country levels. He has hinted that the FIFA World Cup could be his last with Argentina.

He said in the summer to TYC Sports:

"I don't know what I will do after the World Cup. I am thinking about what is coming. After Qatar I will have to reassess many things. It has been a while that I am happy here, since before winning the Copa. I am thankful for all this they make me feel every time I come to Argentina."

Barcelona and Inter Miami CF are the clubs reportedly leading the chase to sign Lionel Messi from PSG.