PSG superstar Lionel Messi's reaction to being substituted by manager Christophe Galtier explained - Reports

Lionel Messi is reportedly calm about being regularly substituted at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this season as he wants to arrive at the FIFA World Cup in great physical condition.

According to journalist Sebastian Vignolo (h/t El Futbolero), the Argentine icon's unhappy face after being substituted does not tell the full story. He is believed to be relaxed about the situation as he has one eye on the World Cup in November.

Messi has already been taken off three times this season before the final whistle. The most surprising such instance came in the UEFA Champions League group stage game against Juventus on September 6.

The legendary forward was brought off in the 84th minute of the game to hand Carlos Soler his PSG debut. The game was still delicately balanced with the score at 2-1 but Les Parisiens managed to hold onto their lead without the former Barcelona star.

Similarly, manager Christophe Galtier took the bold call of taking Messi off in the 87th minute in a Ligue 1 game against AS Monaco with the game still tied. They were unable to score a winner and dropped their first points of the season as a result.

Three days later, Messi was substituted once again when PSG took on Toulouse on August 31. This time, they were 2-0 up and managed to score another goal after the Argentine was hauled off in the 83rd minute.

At the age of 35, he is no longer in the prime years of his career and PSG have the depth to bring in players that can make an impact off the bench. If Galtier does intend to protect the Argentine before the World Cup, then fans can expect to see more such substitutions in the coming weeks.

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PSG consider signing Barcelona star to replace Lionel Messi

According to French outlet Mercato (h/t Futbol Total on Twitter), PSG are considering a move for Antoine Griezmann in 2023 as a potential replacement for Messi.

Griezmann is currently on loan at Atletico Madrid from the Blaugrana. An interesting clause in the loan agreement states that if he plays more than 45 minutes in 14 matches, Los Colchoneros will have to buy him for €40 million next summer. To get around this stipulation, Atletico manager Diego Simeone has been limiting the forward to 30-minute cameos off the bench.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or-winner is in the final year of his contract at the Parc des Princes and the Ligue 1 giants want to extend his stay beyond next summer. If they can't manage to do that, then they could replace him with the France international.

To make this happen, the Paris-based outfit are ready to offer Griezmann a gross salary of between €35-40 million per season. They want the former Real Sociedad forward to replace Messi both on and off the pitch and become one of the faces of the club.