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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will have the opportunity to ring in the changes this summer after a disappointing season. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be eager to make key additions to his team after failing to land the UEFA Champions League.
Meanwhile, ESPN journalist Sam Marsden says Barcelona are open to Lionel Messi’s return. Elsewhere, Zinedine Zidane’s representatives have denied any contact with the Parisians.
On that note, here's a look at the key PSG transfer stories as on June 10, 2022:
Sam Marsden says Barcelona open to Lionel Messi return
Sam Marsden believes Barcelona are open to Lionel Messi’s eventual return. The Argentinean left the Camp Nou to join PSG last summer but has endured a difficult time in Paris, scoring just 11 times across competitions. His struggles have fueled rumours of a possible return to the Blaugrana.
In his column for ESPN, Marsden said that a Bosman move next summer could be on the cards for Messi.
“A year is a long time in football and even longer at Barcelona. Could Messi, at the age of 36, make a sensational return to Camp Nou to say a proper farewell to Barca fans? President Joan Laporta has said Messi could come back as a player only if it was for free, which will be the case next summer, so the decision would lie with coach Xavi Hernandez if the player wanted to pull on a Barca shirt again,” wrote Marsden.
He added:
“Xavi is trying to rebuild Barca from the ground up and, while exceptions might be made due to the club's financial situation in the short term, he wants younger players who will press and harry for 90 minutes. He does not want one player who is exempt from certain duties, but Messi is Messi, and what he did at Barca -- scoring 672 goals in 778 games; breaking records week after week -- might never be repeated.”
Marsden went on to reveal that Messi still means the world to Barcelona.
“He still means so much to the club. Plus, he has shown for Argentina, if not yet for Paris Saint-Germain consistently, that he still has that spark others can only dream of. And then there is his relationship with Xavi. If he really wanted to come back, and if his wages were no longer a problem, it would be hard to say no,” wrote Marsden.
He continued:
“But there is a feeling at Barca that Messi's chapter as a player for the club has closed. It is expected that he will be back in the city he calls home sooner than later, but only once his boots have been hung up -- he has said, for example, that he'd like to be a sporting director. But who knows where the Barca soap opera will be in 12 months' time? Stranger things have happened over the last two years.”
Zinedine Zidane representative denies contact with PSG
Zinedine Zidane’s agent has hit out at reports claiming that the Frenchman has agreed to take over from current manager Mauricio Pochettino at PSG.
The Argentinean manager is expected to get the sack after an underwhelming season. Zidane, a former Real Madrid manager, is the favourite to take over the reins at the Parc des Princes.
However, speaking to L’Equipe (via Metro), the Frenchman’s agent Alain Migliaccio revealed that there has been no contact with the Ligue 1 champions so far.
“All these rumours are unfounded. As of right now, I am the only person who can represent Zinedine Zidane. Neither Zidane nor myself have been directly contacted by PSG’s owner,” said Migliaccio.
Parisians ready to pay €75 million for Everton's Richarlison
PSG are willing to pay €75 million to secure the signature of Richarlison, according to Fichajes via The Hard Tackle.
The Brazilian has been consistently among goals for Everton since joining them in 2018. He scored ten times in 30 appearances last season to help the Toffees avoid relegation.
The 25-year-old’s performances have endeared him to the Parisians. The Brazilian is eager to take the next step in his career this summer.
The Ligue 1 champions are willing to offer €75 million to lure him to the Parc des Princes. However, they could face competition from Chelsea for the player’s services, with the Blues also willing to pay that fee.
