"It'd be a really bad idea for PSG to renew Messi"

After winning the World Cup with Argentina, the news surrounding Leo Messi is about him staying at Paris Saint-Germain. With a contract which runs out in June 2023, the Argentine has still not spoken about nor signed an extension to it ahead of next season. 

Despite all signs pointing to him staying at the Parca des Princes, ex-PSG player Jerome Rothen gave his opinion on his podcast 'Rothen s'enflamme' on 'RMC Sport' about a possible new deal.

"It's a bad idea to give him a new contract. When building a team, PSG's problem is not having a star, it's having several. Mbappe is the star and PSG have every interest in keeping him", the ex-footballer said, who also spoke about Neymar and his four-year contract.

"It's very good to have Messi there for two years, the best player of all time, but we can't stop at one game against Toulouse. That was when he was up front alone because the rest weren't there. I think those three will be playing together very often and next year, we'll have to rebuild everything", he said.

He then spoke about the money side of things: "Keeping Messi wouldn't be a good idea, in terms of the numbers. Managing all three of them is hard. After comes the wage bill, which has gone through the roof. There you have the chance to recoop a large amount of money because Messi'a salary can allow you to recrute and improve your squad. Thast's why it's a very bad idea".

"In terms of image and what he reflects, I wouldn't understand why Messi would want to stay. He makes no effort to drive the team forward. He's not going to thank the fans, he keeps his head down and he goes to the dressing room. Even when he celebrates his goals, his name is ringing around, but he never makes a nice gesture to thank the fans. So, he doesn't want to invest more in this. It's not a good idea", he concluded.

 

February 6, 2023