Lionel Messi news: Paris Saint-Germain director of football Patrick Kluivert contacts Messi’s father over possible move

LIONEL MESSI’S continued reluctance to sign a new deal at lifelong club Barcelona has alerted French giants PSG – whose director of football has contacted Messi’s father Jorge.

That director of football is none other than former Barcelona legend Patrick Kluivert – who according to reports in France has initiated contact with Messi‘s dad, who is also his agent.

PA:Press Association

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PSG, like other major European clubs such as Manchester City, have been put on high alert about the future of the 29-year-old when it emerged he had not signed a new deal.

The Argentinian international turned down a new Nou Camp deal last summer with reports suggesting he was unhappy with the club’s treatment of him during his high-profile tax fraud case.

Reuters

And it emerged last week that an unnamed club had offered Lionel Messi an incredible £85million signing-on fee to join them at the end of his Barcelona contract.

Talks are set to resume next month when his father Jorge flies to Spain to attend the Clasico with Real Madrid.

Messi, 29, is understood to be demanding a whopping £825,000-a-week to sign – over £300,000 more than Cristiano Ronaldo pockets at Real Madrid.

But Barcelona cannot afford such a deal, with talks already in the pipeline over expensive contract extensions for Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic.

Barca chiefs however remain confident that Messi, who has scored 496 goals for the club since making his debut in 2004, will agree to spend the rest of his career in Catalonia.