PSG boss Christophe Galtier took a swipe at Lionel Messi amid reports that the 2022 World Cup winner would return as captain of his boyhood club Barcelona.
While Galtier underlined that he was happy with the Argentine's overall numbers for the 2022-23 season, he pointed out that one expects a lot more from Messi.
Messi scored 20 goals and provided an equal number of assists in PSG 2022-23 campaign in all competitions. His tally was only behind Kylian Mbappe, whose tally stood at 39 strikes.
"This year, he has great statistics. It is already much, much better than last season. I think Leo has had a very good season with PSG, but people still expect a lot more from him," Galtier told reporters in Paris.
The 56-year-old French coach's comments about Messi come at a time when speculation over the legendary footballer's next destination has escalated after his reported refusal to sign a contract extension with PSG.
The latest reports from Spain suggest that Barcelona wish to appoint Messi as their captain if the Blaugrana succeed in inking a deal with him.
It is worth noting that Messi was Barca's skipper when he was forced to leave Catalonia two years ago due to the club's huge mountain of debt which was around $1.5 billion at the time.