When Barcelona decided that they had no option other than to let Lionel Messi walk away from the club, there were only ever going to be one or two suitors rich enough to be able to buy him, but now, almost two years after his move to Paris Saint-Germain, one former opponent has described him as being ‘helpless and desperate’ there.
The Argentinian has enjoyed stunning recent success at international level, winning the World Cup with his country, but Champions League success continues to elude him and PSG.
It’s not for the want of trying either.
After a reasonable if not spectacular opening campaign with the Ligue Un giants, he already has 18 goals and 17 assists for PSG in 2022/23, per WhoScored.
They’re remarkable numbers for any player, let alone one who will be 36 this summer and in the supposed twilight of his incredible career.
Former Bayern Munich star, Philipp Lahm doesn’t believe Messi is happy in the French capital however.
“PSG can make you sad. You feel for the many PSG fans who came to Munich. Their hope that something could come together dies every year,” he was quoted as saying by The Athletic.
“In Munich, you saw none of the class that team with such outstanding players really must have. They were a huge disappointment. This exorbitantly expensive team is like a luxury department store.
“Qatar invests millions in PSG. Politically the strategy works but on the sporting level the team is a disappointment and the club remains a bland experience.”
If that weren’t scathing enough, the former German team captain twisted the knife a little deeper.
“Messi is integrated into the Argentina team just like Mbappe in the France team. All for one and one for all,” he added.
“Messi showed some moments of his extra class in Munich. But his abilities are being deployed without reason, goal, direction. Messi was helpless and desperate.”
At the time of writing, Messi still hasn’t signed a new deal with PSG and it’s not clear whether his intention is to do so, or to take care of some unfinished business with Barcelona.
Forbes intimate that Barca are working overtime to ensure that the possibility of seeing their prodigal son return becomes a reality.
Only time will tell if they’re able to get that deal over the line, but it would certainly bookmark the end of his career in the most apt manner possible.