Ever since his departure from Barcelona, Lionel Messi has been the subject of numerous transfer links.
The Argentine was forced to leave his lifelong club in the summer of 2021, and a host of bidders lined up to acquire his services.
Clubs from various parts of the world were prepared to front his extravagant wages, with English heavyweights Manchester City being among them.
Nevertheless, the forward eventually landed at French Champions Paris Saint Germain to an outstanding reception.
While things failed to go according to plan during his first year in Paris, he has fared far better in the ongoing season.
Messi has recorded 13 goals and 14 assists thus far this season, and that is on top of winning the ultimate prize, the FIFA World Cup.
The Argentine lifted the iconic trophy in what was likely his final appearance in the tournament, capping off an extraordinary career.
Despite winning the game’s biggest honor, Messi is yet to formally hang up his boots, and his PSG career is still chugging along.
But that might change very soon, as reported by transfer journo Gerard Romero.
The Barcelona ITK specialist revealed the news on his stream, saying that Messi has no intention of renewing his PSG contract which is all set to expire in June.
As per Romero, the Argentine has had a change of heart following his World Cup triumph.
The international title is known to be the greatest honor in Football, and it even held great significance for Messi, a man who has won everything else.
Now with his greatest wish fulfilled, it’s possible that the 35-year-old is looking for an ideal retirement destination rather than a highly competitive club.
In the past, Messi has been linked with moves to the MLS, a desire he has expressed himself on numerous occasions.
Another possible move could be a return to his old marching grounds in Barcelona.
And finally, there’s always the possibility of a wildcard.
Around the time of his move to PSG, a club who were reportedly considering a move for the Argentine’s signature was Chelsea.
Owned by Roman Abramovich at the time, reports have claimed that the London outfit enquired about Messi’s wages before his eventual transfer to PSG.
The rumor previously gained traction after Messi mysteriously followed Chelsea on Instagram in 2016, with reports of uncertainty on Barcelona’s career looming in the background.
An old quote from Pablo Zabaleta also made a resurgence to further stroke the flames, one which stated that Messi’s go-to side on EA’s FIFA games was none other than Chelsea.
Those rumors were eventually rubbished as the forward remained at Barcelona, much like the 2021 encore after he eventually signed with PSG.
However, the links could remerge once again if Messi chooses to leave the Parisiens.
On this occasion, sitting at Chelsea’s helm is new owner Todd Boehly, a man who has shown no hesitation in splashing the cash.
The American has been very keen to bring a certified superstar to the Bridge, as indicated by his strong interest in signing Cristiano Ronaldo during the summer window.
A potential move for arguably the best player of all time could be a deal too good to refuse for the American, making Chelsea a potential destination for the Argentine, if he chooses to leave of course.