Lionel Messi says he is in a better atmosphere at Paris Saint-Germain and has now settled at the club, following his big move last summer.
Messi has been preparing ahead of the World Cup this summer with good form, with the tournament just weeks away. The mercurial forward bagged a brace in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Honduras.
Messi has also hit form in Ligue 1 with PSG and is starting to find consistency again like we all know him.
Last season saw a major drop in numbers by his own standards, following his shock move to PSG. He managed only 11 goals, which was a huge letdown, compared to his tally of 34 in the season before with Barcelona.
Messi has now scored six times in all competitions for PSG so far this season, as well as eight assists – and has revealed he is enjoying the atmosphere in Paris.
Messi comments on good feeling at PSG
Speaking on the current atmosphere at PSG, he said: “I feel different to what it was last year. I had a bad time, I never finished finding myself,” Messi said.
“This year is different. I arrived with another head, more accommodated to the club, to the locker room, my teammates, to the game.
“The truth is that I feel very good. I enjoyed myself again.”
In his 21-year stint at Barcelona, Messi established himself as one of the best ever-footballers to grace a football pitch, becoming one of the most decorated players in the sport’s history.
In 778 games for the Catalan club, Messi scored a whopping 672 goals and recorded 303 assists.
But last summer, he left on a free transfer after his contract expired due to the financial issues going on at the Nou Camp.
So, when he failed to hit the expected heights in his debut season at PSG last term, speculation about a potential return to Barca sparked, as their finances eased.
Messi’s current deal with PSG runs out next summer, and given how emotional he was when he left the Spanish outfit, going back there would not exactly come as a surprise.
However, now that Barca have Robert Lewandowski in their ranks – a possible Messi replacement – and the Argentine is now ‘enjoying’ his time at PSG, a return next summer may now be less likely.
It’s safe to say the 35-year-old will probably not look to return to Barcelona and will probably chase a different route even if his contract at PSG runs out and he decides not to renew with the French giants. Many will be curious about his next line of action in 2023 but only time will tell what happens.
