08 February 2023 , 08:12
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Paris Saint-Germain have been warned their stance over handing Lionel Messi a contract extension is "bulls***", with discussions over a new deal underway.
Messi joined the Ligue 1 giants in the summer of 2021 after leaving Barcelona, helping them to win the French title last term. He has again starred this season, scoring 15 goals and notching 14 assists in all competitions to push PSG eight points clear at the top of the table.
But a potential problem is rapidly approaching, with Messi out of contract at the end of this campaign. There is an option to extend it by a further year, though PSG are understood to have already begun talks with Messi over a new deal.
Not everyone believes the World Cup winner should remain at the Parc des Princes though, despite his impressive performances over the past 18 months. Former PSG star Jerome Rothen instead believes that a new contract for Messi would be a "bad idea".
"It's a bad idea. In building a collective, the problem for PSG is not to have a star, it's is to have several. Mbappé, PSG have every interest in trying to extend it and build with him, in relation to his age and everything he represents in France," he told RMC Sports.
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"Neymar has extended, he still has four years of contract. He gave satisfaction. It must be recognized that in the state of mind and his extra-sporting life, he made an effort. I think he is totally in the shoes of a PSG player today , although there are still possible improvements.
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Former France and PSG winger Jerome Rothen has slammed Messi (Getty Images)"Messi, it's very good for two years to have the image, the best player of all time in your squad, who scores more goals this year. But we can't stop at a match against Toulouse, when he is all alone at the forefront of the attack, because Mbappé and Neymar are not there.
"I assume that these three will be there very often and that next year, we will have to rebuild something."
Rothen went further, slamming the decision to sign Messi as being "bulls***" due to its effect on the exploding wage bill at PSG. He also took aim at Messi's attitude this season, claiming he makes "no effort" to move the club forward.
"Messi's extension is bulls***, already in terms of numbers. Managing the three is complicated. Afterwards, there is the wage bill. And we saw that PSG is stuck with financial fair play. Because the wage bill has exploded," Rothen added.
"There, you have the opportunity to recover a large sum of money because Messi's salary is It can allow you to recruit and improve your squad. For all that, it's a very bad idea to extend Leo Messi.
"In terms of image and what he reflects, I would not understand that Leo Messi wants to prolong the adventure. He makes no effort to put the club forward. He is not going to thank the fans, he lowers his head and goes to the locker room.
"Even on the celebration of his goals, his name is chanted, he never has a nice gesture towards the supporters to thank them. So he does not want to invest more in that. It's a false good idea."