If Lionel Messi leaves PSG, these 3 clubs could be his next home

When Lionel Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2021, it became the biggest transfer in football history as the Argentine football star's 21-year stay at Barcelona came to an end.

PSG, though the biggest club in France, was not seen as an ideal move for Messi as the French league does not provide the kind of competitive football we see in the Premier League or the La Liga. So, it was expected that Messi won't be staying at the club for a long time and that it was just a strategic move at the time.

Now, there are reports that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is going to leave the Paris-based club at the end of the season. The news comes a day after PSG suspended Messi following his trip to Saudi Arabia without the club's permission.

Messi is set to leave PSG when his two-year contract expires at the end of the season, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday (May 3). The source told the AP that Messi's departure was a mutual decision, with his contract effectively allowed to run down since January.

Messi is not the player he used to be a few years back. But just a few months back he took Argentina to World Cup victory, and is still considered the best footballer in the world. And this has led to rumour mills running high about which club could be Messi's next destination.

We take a look at 3 clubs that could be Messi's next possible home:

Back to Barcelona?

A return back to Barcelona would be like a dream-come-true kind of moment for Messi fans at Camp Nou. Two years back, Messi had to bid a tearful goodbye to Barcelona as the club had to let the Argentine go even though he had agreed to slash his fee by 50 per cent. The club was facing a big financial debt at that time.

But since then, the club and its players have mentioned quite a few times that it would be great to have Messi back in the team. "We're crazy for Lionel Messi to return, we're going to do everything we can to bring him back to Barcelona," was the message from Barca's dressing room, a source in the club told The Athletic.

For Messi too, it could be a move that might rejuvenate his career. He has not been at his best since he moved to PSG, and he knows that he is treated like a God in Barcelona.

Joins Al-Hilal, revives rivalry with Ronaldo

If his recent trip to Saudi Arabia is a signal, and if we believe the reports in the last few months, a move to Saudi football club Al-Hilal makes a lot of sense.

He has a commercial contract with Saudi Arabia to promote tourism in the Middle Eastern country. Messi is currently suspended for two weeks after travelling to Saudi to fulfill his duties as a tourism ambassador without the permission of PSG's owners.

Messi's move to Al-Hilal will be a big boost for Saudi football and it will revive the rivallry between the Argentine and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo joined Saudi club Al Nassr on a record 2-1/2 year contract in December last year.

Joins Inter Miami as part of a bigger deal?

In 2021, when rumours of Messi planning on leaving Barcelona came up first, Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami was seen as one of the possible destinations for La Pulga.

The David Beckham-owned franchise has been trying to get Messi for the last two years, but finally it all comes to the player. He might get a lucrative deal in the US, but Messi will have to decide if he still wants to compete at the top level or end his career in the US or Saudi Arabia.

According to a report in Argentine outlet Futbol Total DirecTV last year, Messi had agreed to terms of a contract with Inter Miami that would see the Argentine join the club in the summer of 2023. As part of that deal, the report said, Messi will also acquire a 35 per cent stake in the club.