PSG studying a way to sign Messi without losing Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain are back in contention to sign Lionel Messi. The initial announcement that the No.10 was leaving Barcelona didn't even cause PSG to think twice due to they financial complications, but that all changed when the player's agent and father contacted the French club late on Thursday.

Jorge Messi reached out to PSG to see if the club were in a position to sign his son, but they aren't the only club that have been contacted. Chelsea are also interested in signing him, as are Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, which MARCA revealed on Thursday.

The truth about PSG is that contact has already been made and discussions have taken place. Their response to Messi's father doesn't mean that all is okay and the deal will go ahead, but they have said that they are trying to find a way that will allow them to sign the Argentine but also keep hold of Kylian Mbappe as well.

They know that the only way to sign him would be to then get as much back in return with the use of his image, and MARCA have learned that they believe that they will need to obtain 100 percent - or close to that - of his image rights.

MARCA reported on Thursday that PSG are facing a 200 million euro debt this season and need to sell players, but Nasser Al Khelaifi wants to keep hold of Mbappe as well as signing Messi. He knows that players have to leave, and only Mitchel Bakker has departed thus far, joining Bayer Leverkusen for just seven million uros.

PSG's current plan is to put more players on the market, and they believe that they should be able to make money from the players they have, but there aren't any individuals who want to leave. It's likely that Messi's possible arrival in the French capital could even affect Angel Di Maria, who only just renewed at the Parc des Princes.

The quickest fix for the club would be to put Mbappe on the market. Now the ball is in Al Khelaifi's court, and it remains to be seen if he'll be able to deliver.