MX23RW : Tuesday, May 14 21:18:06| >> :60:56:56:

Paris Saint-Germain president vows to keep hold of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe

PSG president vows to keep hold of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe
© Reuters
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi insists that the Parisiens will do everything possible to keep hold of star forwards Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has insisted that the club will do everything in their power to retain the services of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Only a few weeks ago, the futures of all three members of PSG's famed trifecta were up in the air, as speculation surrounding a possible exit for Neymar also began to gather pace again.

While the Brazil international has apparently now ruled out the prospect of leaving Parc des Princes, there is little clarity on the situations of Messi and Mbappe.

The former could walk away as a free agent at the end of the season, while Mbappe's deal only runs until 2024 with the option of an additional 12 months.

With PSG once again failing in their pursuit of an elusive Champions League crown - going down 3-0 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the last 16 - both star names are unsurprisingly being tipped to depart, in spite of the Parisiens' continued domestic dominance.

Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring for Paris Saint-Germain on March 4, 2023© Reuters

Nevertheless, Al-Khelaifi has insisted that PSG will not make "mistakes" when it comes to their most prized assets, and the club are fighting tooth and nail to tie them to fresh terms.

"We are lucky to have some of the best players in the world, who wanted to play for PSG despite receiving offers from other clubs. We are working to keep them going," Al-Khelaifi told Marca.

"We are going to analyse what we are doing and make sure we can continue with them; we want to do things accordingly. We are not going to make mistakes. We focus on youth and young talent, we have many projects for the future."

After struggling to adapt to the demands of Ligue 1 during his debut season in Paris, seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has thrived under Christophe Galtier with 18 goals and 17 assists from 32 matches this season.

Even if a fresh deal cannot be agreed with the Argentine, PSG can trigger a 12-month option in his existing contract, although they are now said to be having second thoughts about doing so.

Lionel Messi wins The Best FIFA Men's Player 2022 award on February 27, 2023© Reuters

Clubs in North America and Saudi Arabia continue to keep a watchful eye on the situation, while Barcelona president Joan Laporta has affirmed that the door is open for Messi to make a marquee return to Catalonia.

Meanwhile, Mbappe raised eyebrows when he rebuffed Real Madrid to sign a new contract at Parc des Princes last year, and his terms also include an option to extend until 2025.

The France international supposedly only has a few months left to trigger that extension, otherwise he will be free to walk away for nothing at the end of next season.

Real had cooled their interest in Mbappe after being snubbed by the 24-year-old, but Los Blancos could soon reignite their pursuit as they prepare for life without the long-serving Karim Benzema.

Manchester United have also been tipped to make a move for Mbappe if a lucrative takeover goes through in the coming months, although the attacker recently affirmed that he remains "very happy" in the French capital.

ID:509972:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5737:

Lionel Messi future - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Lionel Messi

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
AC Milan's Rafael Leao celebrates their first goal on February 14, 2023
Read Next:
PSG eye Rafael Leao as possible Lionel Messi replacement?
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City37277393336088
2Arsenal37275589286186
3Liverpool372310484414379
4Aston Villa37208976562068
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs371961271611063
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle361761379572257
7Chelsea361691173611257
8Manchester UnitedMan Utd36166145256-454
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham371410135971-1252
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton361212125458-448
11Bournemouth37139155365-1248
12Crystal Palace371210155258-646
13Wolverhampton WanderersWolves37137175063-1346
14Fulham37128175159-844
15Everton37139153949-1040
16Brentford37109185461-739
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3789204766-1929
18Luton TownLuton3768235081-3126
RBurnley3759234076-3624
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd37372735101-6616


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!