Paris Saint-Germain attacker Lionel Messi is reportedly determined to continue in Europe next season amid interest from Barcelona, MLS and Al-Hilal.
The former Blaugrana attacker is only under contract at the Parc des Princes until the end of the campaign, and speculation surrounding his future continues to intensify.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was believed to have held positive talks with Messi's father over a new one-year deal during the Qatar World Cup, and his current deal also includes the option to extend for another 12 months.
However, reports over the past few days have claimed that Messi is now leaning towards an exit from the French capital this summer as the two parties struggle to come to an agreement over fresh terms.
PSG would have supposedly asked the 35-year-old to slash his salary by as much as 25% to remain at the club, which he would be reluctant to do, but his entourage have since blasted such reports as false.
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A statement from the attacker's representatives read: "It's strange to see news about the club wanting to lower Leo's salary, or not wanting to extend his contract circulate.
"We don't want to play this little game. This kind of fake news doesn't do Leo, nor his relationship with the club, any good. But perhaps that's exactly what some people want.
"We won't make a public statement, but not only is it clear that Leo and the club are negotiating, but the club want Leo to stay, as the manager (Christophe Galtier) recently said.
"It is therefore strange to see someone divulge something else to the press. What interest do they have in lying? It would be good to ask those that are doing it."
Whatever is happening behind the scenes in Paris, Barcelona president Rafa Yuste has confirmed that talks have been held over bringing Messi back to the club, while Al-Hilal are believed to be preparing an offer which would see Messi pocket an astronomical €400m (£351.1m) per year.
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However, journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that the Argentina international's absolute priority is to remain in Europe, as he wants to continue competing in the Champions League.
Messi is supposedly after "sporting guarantees" before he commits to a new deal at PSG, while Barcelona are at the mercy of Financial Fair Play rules before talks can progress further.
La Blaugrana's economic problems forced Messi to depart in the summer of 2021, and the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner struggled to adapt to the demands of Ligue 1 during his first season in Paris.
The Argentina international has since found his stride to record 18 goals and 17 assists in 33 games this term, taking his total for the club to 29 goals and 32 assists in 67 outings.
Messi was powerless to prevent Les Parisiens suffering a second successive Ligue 1 defeat to Lyon at the weekend, though, cutting their lead at the top over Marseille and Lens to six points.
Ben Knapton
