'He's very happy' - PSG confident of extending Messi's contract after World Cup
Paris Saint-Germain chief executive Nasser Al-Khelaifi remains confident the club will be able to tie Lionel Messi to a new contract.
Messi's current deal with PSG expires in the summer of 2023 and there has been much speculation about his future.
Inter Miami are hoping to tempt him to join MLS, but they will face stiff competition from PSG after the World Cup ends.
Messi has been in fine form for Argentina and is currently preparing for his quarter-final against the Netherlands on Friday.
Al-Khelaifi says (via Sky Sports): "He is very happy, you can see that with the national team. If a player is not happy, you will see that his performance is not good for the national team.
"He has played fantastically this season for us, he has scored a lot of goals and assists for the national team and for the club.
"So what we agreed together - that after the World Cup we sit together. But both teams - our club team and him - are very happy, so we will talk after the World Cup ."
Even at 35, Messi shows no signs of slowing down. He has been one of the best players in the tournament so far with three goals and one assist.
Messi was in fine form for PSG before the international break and it's easy to see why they're so keen on tying him to a new contract.
PSG currently has three of football's biggest superstars all playing in the same team. Al-Khelaifi also spoke about the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
He adds: "He's a legend, he's a star. The footballer, I admire and love him as a player and a professional. A fantastic player. 37 now – he's doing great. But every club also wants to sign him.
"The problem today for us is that we have the job [occupied] - his job - so it's not easy to replace the job we have with him. It would be impossible, honestly, for us.”
Kylian Mbappe has been one of the players of the tournament so far and Al-Khelaifi was more than happy to have the French star extend his stay with PSG this summer.
"For me, he is a very high level player and a high level, professional human being," Al-Khelaifi adds of Mbappe.
"So for me, it was really essential that he stay and not leave for free. That's another important point but as I've always said, I always trusted him, made trust his family because we created something [a] special relationship with the player and them and that's why he's Parisian, he's French and he's always proud of to be in France.
"He's going to face England and that's what it's all about, he represents France and his national team but also his club."
READ MORE: Mbappe v Walker: Rio, Neville and past meetings offer insight into key battle between England and France
Paris Saint-Germain chief executive Nasser Al-Khelaifi remains confident the club will be able to tie Lionel Messi to a new contract.
Messi's current deal with PSG expires in the summer of 2023 and there has been much speculation about his future.
Inter Miami are hoping to tempt him to join MLS, but they will face stiff competition from PSG after the World Cup ends.
Messi has been in fine form for Argentina and is currently preparing for his quarter-final against the Netherlands on Friday.
Al-Khelaifi says (via Sky Sports): "He is very happy, you can see that with the national team. If a player is not happy, you will see that his performance is not good for the national team.
"He has played fantastically this season for us, he has scored a lot of goals and assists for the national team and for the club.
"So what we agreed together - that after the World Cup we sit together. But both teams - our club team and him - are very happy, so we will talk after the World Cup ."
Even at 35, Messi shows no signs of slowing down. He has been one of the best players in the tournament so far with three goals and one assist.
Messi was in fine form for PSG before the international break and it's easy to see why they're so keen on tying him to a new contract.
PSG currently has three of football's biggest superstars all playing in the same team. Al-Khelaifi also spoke about the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
He adds: "He's a legend, he's a star. The footballer, I admire and love him as a player and a professional. A fantastic player. 37 now – he's doing great. But every club also wants to sign him.
"The problem today for us is that we have the job [occupied] - his job - so it's not easy to replace the job we have with him. It would be impossible, honestly, for us.”
Kylian Mbappe has been one of the players of the tournament so far and Al-Khelaifi was more than happy to have the French star extend his stay with PSG this summer.
"For me, he is a very high level player and a high level, professional human being," Al-Khelaifi adds of Mbappe.
"So for me, it was really essential that he stay and not leave for free. That's another important point but as I've always said, I always trusted him, made trust his family because we created something [a] special relationship with the player and them and that's why he's Parisian, he's French and he's always proud of to be in France.
"He's going to face England and that's what it's all about, he represents France and his national team but also his club."
READ MORE: Mbappe v Walker: Rio, Neville and past meetings offer insight into key battle between England and France
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