PSG Transfer News Roundup: Parisians planning to offload Lionel Messi this summer, says journalist; Neymar told he's not a Brazil legend, and more - July 1, 2022
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are preparing to usher in a new era with some smart investments this summer. The Parisians finished last season as Ligue 1 champions but endured an underwhelming run in the UEFA Champions League, getting knocked out by eventual champions Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, the Ligue 1 giants are reportedly planning to offload Lionel Messi this summer. Elsewhere, journalist Darren Lewis believes Neymar is not a Brazil legend. On that note, here's a look at the key PSG transfer stories as on July 1, 2022:
PSG planning to offload Lionel Messi this summer, says Spanish journalist
PSG are planning to offload Lionel Messi this summer, according to Spanish journalist Pedro Morata via PSG Talk. The Argentinean moved to the Parc des Princes last summer from Barcelona, but he has failed to live up to expectations. The 35-year-old ended the season with 11 goals from 34 games across competitions.
Messi, though, has shown signs of a revival over the summer. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was outstanding for La Albiceleste in the last few games, scoring goals for fun and winning the Finalissima. He set up two goals against Italy in the Finalissima and scored all five in a friendly against Estonia. Messi's form has sparked hopes of a fruitful second season with the Parisians.
Lionel Messi turns 35 today.
The man was born to win Ballon d'Ors 🏆 https://t.co/UeYnWRCnr1
However, it appears the Ligue 1 champions have run out of patience with him. New sporting director Luis Campos is planning a squad revamp and is also ready to axe the 35-year-old.
Campos wants more team players in Paris rather than individual stars. Morata, though, added that offloading the Argentinean and Neymar, who is also up for sale, could be tough given their exorbitant salaries.
Neymar not a Brazil legend, says Darren Lewis
Darren Lewis believes Neymar is not a Brazilian legend. The PSG forward has divided opinion with his antics on and off the pitch. On his day, the 30-year-old can be devastating, but he has lacked consistency during his stay in Paris.
Darren Lewis argues why Neymar can’t be labelled as a Brazilian ‘legend’.“He’s not a legend, for me!” ❌
“I can’t recall as many moments of genius as I can from Ronaldo, Ronaldinho etc..”
🇧🇷 Darren Lewis argues why Neymar can’t be labelled as a Brazilian ‘legend’. https://t.co/jcgOqRtKOY
Speaking to talkSPORT, Lewis said that Neymar has done nothing of much significance to be held in the same regard as the legends of Brazil football.
"He's not a legend, for me. He's scored some good goals; he has been a good player. Listen, I've seen Brazilian footballers since 1982. I've seen Socrates, Eder, Falcao, Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho. I can't recall many. ... or as many moments of genius from Neymar as I can from Romario, Bebeto, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo,” said Lewis.
He added:
“So many others, even Juninho. I think Neymar has always had a huge amount of pressure on him, and I'm not necessarily sure he's lived up to that pressure."
Kylian Mbappe stayed in Paris due to political pressure, says former teammate
Former PSG forward Jese Rodriguez believes Kylian Mbappe turned down a move to Real Madrid due to political pressure.
The 23-year-old performed a U-turn last month and opted to sign an extension with the Parisians. The Frenchman was heavily courted by Los Blancos but decided against making the move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Speaking to El Partidazo, Rodriguez said that Mbappe had informed him of a desire to join Real Madrid some day.
“I’m surprised that Mbappe didn’t go to Real Madrid because he told me he was going to play there one day. If he didn’t go to Real Madrid, it was because of pressure outside of football, it’s a political issue,” said Rodriguez.