Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are ready to face Montpellier in Ligue 1 on Saturday. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will look for a win this weekend as he prepares for a strong end to the season.
Meanwhile, Gerard Pique has revealed that he cried when Lionel Messi left Barcelona. Elsewhere, the Parisians have entered the race for Frenkie de Jong. On that note, here’s a look at the key PSG transfer stories as on 13th May 2022:
Gerard Pique reveals he cried when Lionel Messi left
“Messi was Barcelona’s best player. I’ve always said that we had Messi to win titles, but we also had to have a good team. A single player cannot win titles. Lionel Messi is the best player in the history of the game.”
He continued:
“I cried when Messi left Barcelona. I cried for him. For the career he had at Barça, it would have been great if he had stayed until the end of his career at the club.”
Pique also attempted to explain the reason behind Messi’s Barcelona exit:
“I can understand why Messi couldn’t renew. The club was suffering a lot economically because of the past president and how he managed the club. But at the end of the day, these are things that happen in life. Sometimes you make a decision and things don’t work out. For Barcelona and the fans Messi was like a God, it would have been great if he stayed.”
PSG enter race for Frenkie de Jong
The Dutch midfielder is wanted by Manchester United and could leave the Camp Nou this summer. However, the Red Devils could face stiff competition from the Parisians for his signature.
The Ligue 1 champions are likely to offload the likes of Ander Herrera, Leandro Paredes and Georginio Wijnaldum this summer. The Parisians believe De Jong could be an upgrade on the trio and want him to partner Marco Verratti in midfield. However, Barcelona’s €100 million valuation of the player could be a problem in any potential deal.
Gianluigi Donnarumma wants Parisians to choose between him and Keylor Navas next season
“No, I think it will surely not happen like that, because I think the club will make choices. We’re two good guys; we understand the situation, but it was hard, and for him too, but let’s say that we managed it well,” said Donnarumma.
The Italian also opened up on winning Ligue 1 with the Parisians, adding:
“It’s beautiful; it’s my first league title; I’m very happy, and it’s my first trophy with the Paris Saint-Germain shirt. I’m very proud to belong to a great, very ambitious club, always aiming higher.”