Lionel Messi is set to be available this summer when his contract expires at Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG have reportedly decided against offering Messi a new deal with the contract he signed upon arriving from Barcelona nearly two years ago set to run out. Messi, 35, will now be a free agent come the end of the season and will no doubt be in demand as clubs look to sign the star of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Having left Barcelona because of his boyhood club's financial difficulties, Messi could seal a return to Catalonia while there could be interest from the Premier League as well as in Saudi Arabia and in the United States of America in the MLS.
Here's the latest on Messi's future...
The current state of play
With Messi out of contract at the end of the season, that means any potential suitor will not have to pay a transfer fee for the player. His salary will be expensive, while there will also be a signing-on fee to be paid, but a deal would be relatively straightforward because there would not have to be discussions with a club.
The worry for Messi is his age and whether a top-level team would be able to accommodate him in their starting XI. Wherever he goes, he will want to play a key role.
Who is interested?
According to reports in the national press, a Saudi Arabian club has offered Messi a $600 million contract to sign for them. Messi was in the country earlier this week, prompting PSG to sanction the player for an unauthorised visit with a fine of two weeks' wages.
Chelsea have been linked in the past while Manchester City were keen when Messi was available after his exit from Barcelona in the summer of 2021. MLS side Inter Miami have been on record before speaking about their interest, with head coach Phil Neville saying: "I'm not going to deny (it and say) there isn't truth in the speculation that we're interested in Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets."
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