Lionel Messi grabbed the headlines on Tuesday after it was revealed that the Argentine was handed a two-week suspension by PSG after missing training. The iconic attacker, who is embroiled in a transfer saga due to his contract situation, was reprimanded following a trip to Saudi Arabia which the Ligue 1 giants argue wasn't sanctioned.
La Pulga, who is a tourism ambassador for the Gulf nation, has a different story. As revealed by Fabrizio Romano, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner had obligations to fulfill in the Middle East and had delayed them several times before due to his commitments to PSG.
However, following the defeat to Lorient, Leo was under the impression that the players were given a few days off and thus informed the club of his trip to Saudi Arabia. The Argentine believes that Les Parisiens U-turned on this sanctioned holiday when he was already on his way to the oil-rich nation and thus could not report for training.
PSG contest this claim, arguing that they never authorized this trip and that the days off required a victory over Lorient, which the Ligue 1 leaders failed to do. As a result, the French giants had to punish their star player for his absence from training.
But this raises an important question: what does this all mean for Lionel Messi's future? The World Cup winner is out of contract this summer and while there is the option to extend it by an additional year, both parties have to agree in order for it to come into effect.
As revealed by Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports, this is just the final nail in the coffin that is Messi's Parc des Princes career. The player isn't expected to extend nor are PSG set to offer him a new deal, thus bringing an end to his expensive spell in the French capital.
This decision, however, isn't down to the two-week suspension. Despite the reports, a contract extension wasn't agreed upon before or during the 2022 FIFA World Cup as the Albiceleste captain wanted to focus on the national team. After the tournament ended, discussions were held but to little avail.
Leo's faith in the PSG project is dwindling while the French giants are in need of a shake-up following another disappointing campaign. Messi has offers from two clubs — Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal and MLS club Inter Miami — but none from Europe, which is La Pulga's preference.
The Argentine wishes to continue playing competitive football and while a return to Barcelona has been suggested, the odds of this occurring are slim due to the Spanish giants' financial struggles and run-in with FFP.
