Lionel Messi 'verbally agrees new Paris Saint-Germain contract'

Paris Saint-Germain attacker Lionel Messi has reportedly reached a verbal agreement over a new contract with the Ligue 1 champions.

The 35-year-old is currently due to become a free agent at the end of the season, having signed a two-year deal with Les Parisiens after joining from Barcelona last year.

Messi initially endured a difficult period of adaptation in Paris, but the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has enjoyed a revival under the tutelage of Christophe Galtier this season.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has made no secret of his desire to agree a new contract with Messi, who was recently crowned World Cup winner with Argentina in Qatar.

Talks between Messi and PSG were paused while the attacker focused on his World Cup exploits, but journalist Fabrizio Romano now reports that both parties have struck a verbal agreement.

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Romano adds that PSG and Messi are yet to finalize the length of the fresh terms and the Argentina international's salary, but he will sit down with Al-Khelaifi and football advisor Luis Campos to sort out the details soon.

With Messi currently able to enter pre-contract negotiations with foreign clubs in January, he has been frequently linked with a sensational return to Barcelona, whom he left due to their ongoing economic problems.

Blaugrana president Joan Laporta supposedly flew to Qatar with the aim of discussing a possible deal during the World Cup, but Barcelona are not believed to have ever held a concrete interest in bringing him back.

MLS outfit Inter Miami are also understood to have been interested in taking Messi to the United States, and Romano adds that the attacker was indeed approached by both Barcelona and Phil Neville's side.

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However, neither club entered serious negotiations to sign the South American attacker, and the powers-that-be at PSG have been working on a proposal for Messi for several months.

The former Barcelona star has registered a total of 23 goals and 29 assists in 53 outings for PSG across all tournaments, although he scored just six Ligue 1 goals in his debut campaign.

Messi nevertheless helped PSG win the top-flight title with four games to spare, and he has amassed 12 goals and 14 assists in 19 matches for the French champions in the 2022-23 season.

During his final World Cup campaign, Messi propelled Argentina to glory with seven goals and three assists in seven matches, winning the Golden Ball for the tournament's best player in the process.