L'Equipe: Messi and Paris Saint-Germain are one step away from total divorce

News about Lionel Messi's future: According to L'Equipe, the Argentine star will not stay at Paris Saint-Germain unless he accepts a salary cut. This is the condition demanded by the Parisian club to the player, who finishes his contract in France this summer.

The Parisian newspaper claims that the club is asking for a reduction of a quarter of his current salary, although SPORT has learned that this information is completely false. The offer made by PSG is to activate the +1 that he has in his contract with the same current economic conditions. 

The differences between PSG and Messi lie mainly in the sporting project. Messi expects guarantees in the club's next sporting project, which with Galtier at the helm is not at its best. The latest defeat against Lyon unleashed a wave of criticism on the team's players and the stars in the dressing room.

In addition, PSG are upset that Messi has still not signed his renewal and fear that Barca's bid to bring him back will create even more doubts for the player.

Jorge Messi spoke with Al-Khelaïfi

In the middle of the World Cup in Qatar, Al-Khelaïfi and Jorge Messi agreed that the former Barcelona man would remain in Paris for at least one more season. According to this information, they did not mention the salary or the length of the contract. Five months later, the renewal has still not been signed and this has provoked all kinds of speculation.

The reality is that the lack of agreement has nothing to do with the player's salary. Al-Khelaïfi himself assured the player's father that, if necessary, they would improve the conditions for Messi to stay at PSG.

L'Équipe report that PSG need to find 'ways to reduce the overall wage bill for two reasons: fair play (financially) but also to have more freedom in the transfer market.' But this reduction, by no means, means asking Messi to reduce his salary by a quarter of his current level. It would be totally absurd for the French club to ask for such a savage cut from a Messi who has just won the World Cup and the 'The Best' award.

Messi is one of the highest-paid players at PSG and in Ligue 1, yet he is behind Kylian Mbappé.

"We need to find ways to reduce the overall payroll for two reasons," says an inside source. "First, for fair play, but also to have more freedom in the transfer market. Let's not lie to ourselves, Messi brings money to the club, but it's the wage bill that needs to be reduced. Negotiations are at a complicated point."