Lionel Messi: PSG star reportedly angered by criticism about his form for new club

• Messi is reportedly angry about the criticism he is receiving in France over his numbers for Paris Saint Germain
• The Argentine has been underwhelming in terms of goals in the league, and has managed just two so far
• French media has been on Messi’s case, with suggestions that the 34-year old is a shadow of his former self at Barcelona

Lionel Messi is reportedly upset about the in the manner which he is being represented by the French media for his performances for Paris Saint Germain.

The 34-year old made a sensational switch to Paris from Barcelona, after the Spanish club failed to get out of a salary cap that crippled their transfer business in the summer of 2021.

According to reports from Le Parisien, quoted by The Sun, Messi has confided in some of the senior figures in the PSG dressing room about the criticism surrounding him since the PSG switch.

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After a glittering 17-year career at Barcelona where he established himself as one of the best players in history, Messi’s form for PSG has not been anything close to what he was doing as a Catalan.

There has particularly been criticism surrounding his goal output in the French Ligue 1, as he has only managed two goals in 16 appearances so far.

He has however been in fairly decent form in the Champions League for PSG, with his five strikes helping the Parisians to the knockout stages.

However, his latest performance in the last 16 against Real Madrid led to more criticism, especially after Kylian Mbappe completely outshone him in the first leg tie.

Decent numbers

Amid criticism over his returns, an overall look at Messi’s numbers as a Paris Saint Germain player suggests he still has some quality left in him, despite his advanced age.

In the league, the Argentine is joint-top in the assists chart after a brace of assists last week in the 3-1 win over Saint Etienne.

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Across all competitions, Messi has seven goals and 11 assists in 23 appearances for the French giants.

Cristiano’s son urges dad not to retire

In other news, Cristiano Ronaldo’s son is keen to see his dad play football for a few more years.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has already started showing signs of ageing in his performance, sparking suggestions from some quarters he should consider calling time on his career.

However, The Sun reports Ronaldo Jr is desperate for his star dad to continue playing as he bids to walk in his footsteps.