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Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Leandro Paredes has revealed that the club have asked him not to comment on their attempt to sign Lionel Messi.
The French club have been linked with a move to sign Lionel Messi, who will be a free agent come summer, unless he does an unlikely U-turn to sign a contract extension with Barcelona.
Paredes, who represents Argentina alongside Messi, had said in December last year that the PSG squad wanted the Barcelona star at their club.
Since then, Paredes has faced some flak in the media, mostly from Barcelona fans and their manager Ronald Koeman, who have accused him of disrespecting the Catalan club.
The midfielder has now said he will not comment on Messi’s potential move to PSG, and that it’s ultimately up to him to make the decision.
"They have asked me not to talk about it anymore," Paredes told Le Journal Du Dimanche.
"People didn't like my position on what I was saying. Some people saw it as disrespectful. This was not the case for me.
"It's up to Messi to decide calmly at the end of the season what he wants to do with his future."
PSG is one of several clubs who can sign Lionel Messi
PSG have several South Americans in their squad, and as many as three of them are Argentinians. Lionel Messi’s former teammate Neymar could also play a key role in coaxing the 33-year-old.
The most important factor could be Mauricio Pochettino’s presence. PSG are likely to give Pochettino some funds to stamp his authority on the PSG squad and lead them to their holy grail – their first Champions League title.
Lionel Messi, of course, hasn’t won the Champions League since 2015, so a potential reunion with Neymar at PSG could prove too hard to turn down.
Financially, PSG are one of only a few clubs who can manage to have Lionel Messi in their squad, as his wages will burn a hole in most of the top clubs’ coffers.
The Parisians are expected to compete with Manchester City for Lionel Messi’s signature, while Inter Miami CF are also being seen as outsiders.
