"He just doesn’t look like he fits in at PSG" - Darren Bent claims Lionel Messi would much rather be at Barcelona

Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Darren Bent has claimed that PSG superstar Lionel Messi has simply failed to deliver what was expected of him in the French capital. Bent also believes that Messi probably regrets his decision to join the Ligue 1 giants, and that the Argentine legend doesn't appear to be a good fit. Bent further likened him to Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, who has also failed to impress this season.

Lionel Messi has undeniably struggled since his move to Paris last summer, scoring just seven goals in twenty-five matches across competitions. Lionel Messi's ineffectiveness was further highlighted in the Ligue 1 giants' recent loss to Real Madrid and their subsequent exit from the coveted UEFA Champions League.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Darren Bent said that although one can't expect Messi to continue outshining his teammates with exemplary performances, the 34-year-old appears to be unhappy and truly struggling at PSG. With Manchester United's Marcus Rashford finding himself in a similar situation, Bent has likened the duo due to their apparent misery at their respective clubs.

Following PSG's defeat against Real Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, Bent said:

“One or two nice touches, but I was expecting so much more from [Messi].

“What I will say about Messi is that he looks like Marcus Rashford at Man United.

“Rashford looks miserable at United and Messi just looks like ‘I don’t want to be here'. Maybe the smile on his face would come back [if he returned to Barcelona].

“I don’t think we’ll see the Messi we saw that was head and shoulders above everybody.

“But he just doesn’t look like he fits in at PSG. I bet he’s probably thinking ‘I wish I was back at Barca’. He didn’t want to leave in the first place.”

---

Lionel Messi likely to stay at PSG but Marcus Rashford could leave Manchester United this summer

Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain: Round Of Sixteen Leg Two - UEFA Champions League

Earlier this week, several reports claimed that Marcus Rashford was considering his future at Manchester United, owing to limited playing time. The English forward has struggled to find form and his attitude has also been repeatedly questioned. Although he is a fan favorite among the Red Devils fan base, his subpar performances have well and truly cast doubt over his long-term future.

On the other hand, Lionel Messi is likely to stay at Paris Saint-Germain to see out his current contract, which expires next summer. With Kylian Mbappe likely to leave the club in the summer when his contract expires, Messi's presence will become all the more important. The real question, however, is whether he can redeem himself before his stint ends.