Friday, 27th December, 2013
Lionel Messi has emerged as a transfer target for the ambitious owners of Paris Saint-Germain, according to Le Parisien, despite Barcelona's attempts to make him the best-paid player in world football.
A reported release clause of €250m for Messi is not deemed a barrier for PSG's Qatari owners, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi not averse to spending big.
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He oversaw a €60m-plus purchase of Edinson Cavani from Napoli this summer, and with Messi seemingly under a cloud, the opportunity for another coup could present itself.
Messi had become embroiled in a row with Barcelona in recent weeks when he claimed club director Javier Faus "knows nothing about football".
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Faus had announced that the club had no obligation to renew Messi's contract beyond 2018, and that the forward had been hankering for a wage hike.
However, Messi had responded with: "Senor Faus is someone who doesn’t know anything about football and wants to manage Barcelona like a business, which it is not.
"Besides, I would remind him that neither I nor anyone from my camp has asked for any wage increase and he knows that very well."
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell and vice-president of sport Josep Maria Bartomeu have already insisted on the need to make Messi their best-paid player.
Rosell said earlier this month: "My office door is always open because Messi should be the highest paid player in the world.
"That's because he is the best player in the world."
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