Reports of Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona for another club in the summer has gained pace with the season drawing to a close. Messi is in the final six months of his contract at Barcelona and is yet to renew. The Argentine has been widely linked with a move to either Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain if he leaves Barcelona at the end of the current season. Man City and PSG are two of the very few clubs who can afford the Argentine’s high fees. But PSG midfielder Ander Herrera believes Financial Fair Play will prevent the signing from going ahead. Lionel Messi Transfer Update: Marco Verratti Keen on Having Argentine Included in PSG!

“Messi, Neymar and Mbappe together? I don’t know how that would work with Financial Fair Play, but I don’t think so,” Herrera was quoted as saying by Goal to El Larguero. PSG have been linked with a move for Messi with French club aiming to put together Neymar, Mbappe and Messi as their front three. Lionel Messi Pips Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr to Win Best Men’s Player of the Decade Award by IFFHS.

But Herrera feels even though the club could reach an agreement with Messi and his representatives, it would be difficult to sign the 33-year-old while adhering to the regulations with the FFP. Herrera refused to be drawn into commenting on Messi’s future and said PSG did not like when members of Barcelona football club kept on taking about Neymar and his future and so he wouldn’t do the same.

“I'm not going to do something that I don't like being done to me. I have a lot of respect for Barca, Messi, his coach and his team-mates,” said Herrera. “It is not a strategy. Me, I will not speak about him. I respect those who do it, but I put myself in the shoes of the club in which Messi has evolved. If I were I at Barca, I would not like people talking about Messi. It does not seem to me to be a lack of respect, but I will not do it,” he added.

Messi has refused to make a call on his future until the end of the season. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner has reportedly grown tired of the speculations regarding his future.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 09, 2021 06:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).