Nasser Al-Khelaifi engages in discussion with Lionel Messi over move to sign Barcelona star at PSG: Reports
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has reportedly held talks with Lionel Messi for Barcelona forward Ansu Fati's services.
Fati, 20, has established himself as one of the best talents in La Liga over the past three seasons. Since making his debut in 2019, he has helped his club lift a Copa del Rey and a Supercopa de Espana title.
A right-footed attacker with a tendency to cut inside from the left flank, the seven-cap Spain international has fallen down the pecking order at Camp Nou this term. He has started just 10 of his 33 appearances so far, registering a meager six goals and three assists in the process.
According to Le10Sport, Al-Khelaifi has engaged in a discussion with Messi over a potential move for Fati in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Spaniard, on the other hand, is keen to explore options, like PSG due to his current predicament at Barcelona.
However, Fati has reiterated his allegiance to his boyhood club amid a number of transfer speculations involving his future. He told Jugones:
"I have a contract until June 2027 and hopefully, I can spend many more years here. I want to spend many years at Barça. I am very grateful to be in the club that I love and in which I grew up."
Fati has also recently popped up on Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool's radar, as per acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Overall, the La Masia graduate has scored 25 goals and laid out nine assists in 91 games across all competitions for Xavi Hernandez's side.
PSG's Lionel Messi attracting interest from Barcelona and other clubs, says journalist
Speaking to TEAMtalk, CBS journalist Ben Jacobs shed light on PSG star Lionel Messi's potential future destinations at club level. He said:
"We know about Inter Miami and their long-standing desire to try and lure him over and they could be quite patient anyway, so he could extend at PSG and then still go to MLS when he's a little bit later. The Al-Hilal links are referred to by club sources as a dream."
Casting doubt on Barcelona's chances of luring Messi, Jacobs added:
"From Barcelona's perspective, a lot of it is just a desire from Joan Laporta, to bring him back on better terms. Earlier, Laporta said that the club feel there is a moral debt to have Messi back at the Camp Nou. But in practice, there's nothing advanced between them. And they would also have to factor in how they can afford him given that the aim is to reduce the wage bill by as much as €200 million."