Lionel Messi warned Cristiano Ronaldo that his return to Manchester United was unlikely to go to plan due to the uncertain nature of the Premier League.
The Argentine superstar has struggled to find his best form in Paris since his high-profile summer transfer from Barca this summer. Messi was unable to prevent PSG’s Champions League Round of 16 exit against Real Madrid – when he saw his first leg penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois. The following Ligue 1 match after that, when PSG clashed with Bordeaux, saw both Messi and his teammate Neymar booed by PSG fans.
Messi failed to live up to his billing in the French capital, scoring 11 goals in 34 appearances during his debut campaign. Reports have claimed that Messi is unhappy in Paris as he has failed to settle in the city and at the club for multiple reasons but it has been stressed that the player does not wish to re-join Barca, after ending his 16-year stint in Barca’s first team. That draws comparison to Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford last summer after 12 years away.
Ronaldo wants to leave United just one year on from his return to Old Trafford and the 37-year-old is the only player who has not reported to the club’s pre-season training this month due to ‘family reasons’. This means the Portuguese superstar is not involved in the 31-player squad which has jetted off to Bangkok.
United are said to have adopted a private stance that Ronaldo could be sold this summer, with an acceptance that they should indeed prepare for a summer exit. Despite netting 24 goals last campaign for the Red Devils, the squad slumped – finishing in a distant sixth place having finished the previous campaign as runners-up.
When asked about Ronaldo's move to the Red Devils after Solskjaer was sacked, Messi told Marca in November: "United are a very strong team with great players. Cristiano already knew the club, but that was at another stage and now he has adapted in an impressive way.
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"From the beginning, he has scored goals as always and had no problems adapting. In the Premier League, it is not as good as we all thought, but it is a very difficult and even competition in which things take a lot of turns. After December it changes a lot and anything can happen."
At the time, Messi was also asked if he missed competing against Ronaldo on a regular basis – with the two going head-to-head in La Liga between 2009 and 2018: "It's been a long time since we stopped competing in the same league.
"We competed individually and as a team for the same goals. It was a very beautiful stage for us and also for the people because they enjoyed it very much. It is a beautiful memory that will remain in the history of football."
