Thomas Tuchel Admits Lionel Messi Would Be Welcome at PSG
By Tom Gott
Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted he would not hesitate to pull the trigger on a move for Lionel Messi if the Argentine chooses to leave Barcelona this summer, but said he does not expect Messi to ever leave Camp Nou.
In the aftermath of Barcelona's humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich, a report emerged suggesting Messi was 'determined' to leave Barça this summer and is not prepared to wait until his contract expires in 2021.
The Argentine was said to be left fuming at Barcelona's refusal to listen to his demands, which has only intensified rumours of an imminent departure, and Tuchel told BT Sport that he would be interested in throwing his hat in the ring if Messi does actually push for an exit.
"He's very welcome. What coach says no to Messi? I mean, come on!" Tuchel said after his side's 1-0 loss to Bayern in the Champions League final on Sunday.
"I think Messi finishes his career in Barcelona. He's Mr Barcelona."
PSG are one of the few sides on the planet who would be able to afford Messi's wage demands, but triggering his £631m release clause might be a stretch even for them.
Sport have previously linked the French giants with a move for Messi, although that report also claims that Inter and Juventus are both ready to launch mammoth bids to sign the Argentine...which isn't happening. The one possibility is to wait a year, at which point he can opt out of his contract and leave for free.
Messi has been described by current president Josep Maria Bartomeu as 'untransferable' this summer, alongside Marc-André ter Stegen, Clement Lenglet, Nélson Semedo, Frenkie de Jong, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembélé and Ansu Fati.
The hope is that Barcelona will be able to rejuvenate their squad this season and convince Messi that he would not be wasting his time by staying at Camp Nou, with the likes of Lautaro Martínez, Eric García, José Gaya and Donny van de Beek all thought to be on Ronald Koeman's wish list this summer.