PSG Transfer News Roundup: Parisians slammed for Lionel Messi sanction; Marco Verratti contemplating departure, and more - May 6, 2023
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will travel to Stade de l’Aube on Sunday (May 7) to face Troyes in Ligue 1. Christophe Galtier’s men need to get back to winning ways to bolster their quest to defend their league title.
Meanwhile, a French football pundit has slammed the Parisians for taking action against star attacker Lionel Messi. Elsewhere, midfielder Marco Verratti is contemplating a departure from the Parc des Princes.
On that note, here's a look at the key PSG transfer stories as on May 6, 2023:
PSG slammed for Lionel Messi sanction
French football pundit Johan Micoud has lambasted PSG for suspending Lionel Messi for two weeks for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia. The Parisians are heading into a crucial run of games but have decided that instilling discipline is of utmost importance to the club.
Messi’s contract with the Ligue 1 champions runs out at the end of the season. Reports say that he's set to leave this summer amid interest from Barcelona. Although the decision to suspend the player has come as a surprise, the 35-year-old has publicly apologised for the trip.
Speaking on La Chaîne L’Equipe, though, Micoud termed the decision from PSG as classless and said that Real Madrid or Bayern Munich would never have acted that way.
"As soon as he signs in Paris, they know he has a contract with Saudi Arabia. And he’s missed the trip twice. They could have worked it out. You’re not going to tell me that after Lorient; they couldn’t have said to him: ‘Come on, go for it.’ We needed a sanction, but from there, we went into this delirium. How can we put a sanction like that? There, we are talking about Messi anyway,” said Micoud.
He continued:
“It has been football for 15 years. And he never made waves in his career. The slightest thing, we make a sanction that I have never seen in my life. You realise; he doesn’t even have the right to go to Camp des loges. We walk on the head there. I find that there is a terrible lack of class. You will never see that elsewhere, at Bayern or Real. It’s not far from shabby.”
Messi could be a huge miss for the Parisians when they line up against Troyes on Sunday.
Marco Verratti contemplating departure
Marco Veratti is considering leaving PSG this summer, according to L’Equipe via Get Football News France.
The Italian midfielder has not been in his element this season and could end his 11-year stay at the Parc des Princes at the end of the season. The Parisians are reportedly eyeing midfield reinforcements this summer, and Verratti could become surplus to requirements.
The 30-year-old signed a new contract this season that will keep him at the Ligue 1 champions till 2026, but he's already looking for greener pastures. The Italian is disillusioned with life at PSG and wants to leave for a fresh challenge. A return to the Serie A might not be possible, but Verratti could move to Saudi Arabia or join the MLS.
Newcastle United not eyeing Neymar, confirms Eddie Howe
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has brushed away reports linking the club to Neymar.
The Brazilian forward is heavily linked with a departure from PSG this summer. The Ligue 1 champions are planning a recruitment culture revamp at the end of the season, but the 31-year-old is no longer part of the plans. Neymar has been linked with a move to St. James’ Park in recent weeks.
However, speaking to the press, Howe pointed out that the Brazilian doesn’t fit the Magpies’ recruitment strategy:
“I think that kind of speculation has been there from day one since the takeover, really. I think naturally, everyone then assumes the biggest names in world football will be going to Newcastle, and now we’ve not recruited that way. I think financially we can’t recruit that way at the moment, but also we have to bring the right people and the right players into the group,” said Howe.
He continued:
“So I always say the transfer market is such a complex decision that there’s a lot of you can’t just pick a name and bring them in. There’s got to be a lot of thought going into what we’re doing, both financially and looking at the players.”
Neymar’s contract with the Parisians runs till 2025, and he also has admirers at Manchester United.