Former Paris Saint-Germain winger believes renewing Lionel Messi’s contract is ‘a really bad idea’
- Seb Sternik
- 8 February 2023
Former France international Jerome Rothen believes Lionel Messi ‘makes no effort’ to drive PSG forward and has urged the club not to renew his contract.
Messi's future appears to be up in the air as talks with PSG over the Argentine's contract continue.
The 35-year-old's deal runs out in the summer, meaning he could become a free agent should ongoing talks collapse.
Rothen, who made 139 appearances for PSG between 2004 and 2010, made his feelings clear while speaking on RMC Sport.
He said (as quoted by BeSoccer): "It's a bad idea to give him a new contract. When building a team, PSG's problem is not having a star, it's having several. Mbappe is the star and PSG have every interest in keeping him."
He added: "It's very good to have Messi there for two years, the best player of all time, but we can't stop at one game against Toulouse.
"That was when he was up front alone because the rest weren't there. I think those three will be playing together very often and next year, we'll have to rebuild everything."
Messi has produced 20 goal contributions in 18 Ligue 1 games this season - including 10 goals.
Despite this, Rothen believes Messi's wages could be spent elsewhere. He said: "Keeping Messi wouldn't be a good idea, in terms of the numbers. Managing all three of them is hard. After comes the wage bill, which has gone through the roof.
"There you have the chance to recoup a large amount of money because Messi's salary can allow you to recruit and improve your squad. That's why it's a very bad idea."
Messi joined PSG on a free transfer back in 2021 following Barcelona's financial crisis.
Luis Campos, who is the sports director for the defending French champions, admitted the club's goal is to extend Messi's contract.
However, Rothen has questioned whether the Argentine's heart is with the Parisians, adding: "In terms of image and what he reflects, I wouldn't understand why Messi would want to stay.
"He makes no effort to drive the team forward. He's not going to thank the fans, he keeps his head down and he goes to the dressing room.
"Even when he celebrates his goals, his name is ringing around, but he never makes a nice gesture to thank the fans. So, he doesn't want to invest more in this. It's not a good idea."
