Disrespectful to Barcelona that PSG publicly say they are going to sign Messi, claims Joan Laporta

When Lionel Messi handed in his transfer request over the summer, few clubs were more heavily linked than Paris Saint-Germain. The mere presence of Neymar combined with the fact that the Parisians were one of the few who could accommodate Messi’s salary made it a very alluring prospect. But the Argentine eventually opted to stay at Camp Nou and things since then have been nothing but rumours.

Even then, the Ligue 1 giants have been heavily linked especially after Sporting Director Leonardo proclaimed that “great players like Messi will always be on PSG’s list”. That scared a few fans and it has seen Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta reveal that he is looking to report PSG for that comment. The former Barca president further added that “it is disrespectful to Barcelona that clubs like PSG publicly say they are going to sign Messi”.

"The club must be capable of making a good proposal that Messi is willing to accept. That depends on the club. I would understand any answer [from Messi], but he needs to know what the proposal is; that requires urgency. It is getting more complicated all the time to make a convincing proposal. He's free to negotiate with other clubs now and Barca are still without a president,” Laporta said, reported Goal.

"It is disrespectful to Barca that clubs like PSG publicly say they are going to sign Messi. This coming from a club-state that have bypassed the rules. We cannot allow clubs and states the luxury of destabilising another club. In that sense, we will have to speak with UEFA and FIFA to avoid such actions. PSG must abstain from [talking about Messi]. It is out of place for another club to speak about him. And, at the moment, there is no president in place to respond to this lack of respect."