PSG hope to retain Lionel Messi at club despite recent suspension and interest from Barcelona - Reports

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are reportedly hoping to retain Lionel Messi at the club despite his suspension amid interest from Barcelona.

The Argentine superstar has his two-year deal with the Parisian giants expiring this summer and has been strongly linked with an exit on a free transfer.

However, as reported by The Times, PSG are looking to retain the World Cup-winning forward and have offered him the best possible finances they could possibly do.

The Ligue 1 champions, however, are yet to receive any update from Lionel Messi's camp regarding the extension.

PSG offered their star attacker a lucrative new deal quite some time back and were ready to wait for Messi to make his decision. However, they also warned the Argentina international not to be too late in making up his mind.

It has been claimed that Lionel Messi has been subject of interest from a host of clubs including his former club Barcelona. The 35-year-old has also attracted interest from clubs in Saudi Arabian Pro League and Major League Soccer.

In the meantime, Messi has made headlines for the wrong reasons at Paris Saint-Germain for being suspended for traveling to Saudi Arabia without the club's permission.

However, on Friday afternoon, the former Barcelona superstar surprised PSG officials by making a public apology on social media.

It has been claimed that Lionel Messi's final decision on whether to stay or leave depends entirely on Barcelona.

The Blaugrana are planning to bring the Argentine superstar back to the club but they have to balance their books in order to do so.

The Catalan giants will need to trim around €200 million from their budgets to comply with FFP rules, which is why funding Messi's return looks quite ambitious.

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Lionel Messi held talks with Manchester United prior to leaving Barcelona for PSG

Manchester United reportedly held talks with Lionel Messi before Argentine made his move to Paris Siant-Germain in 2021.

As claimed by The Sun, the Red Devils were looking to lure Messi to Old Trafford when he was leaving Barcelona with his contract expiring.

They had not re-signed Cristiano Ronaldo yet and were looking to make a statement signing.

However, the Argentine did not take much time to decide on his next club and moved to French giants PSG.

The Argentine superstar has been at the club for the last two years and looks set to leave France at the end of the season.

It has been claimed that the World Cup-winner could be on his way back to Barca, while a move to Saudi Arabia or the USA could also be on the cards.