French champions Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly secured a contract extension with Brazilian forward Neymar Jr. It is believed that this move is also a way to take them one step closer to securing the signature of FC Barcelona captain Lionel Messi, whose contract with the Catalan giants expires in June.

Paris Saint-Germain is believed to be determined to sign Messi, and a potential reunion with Neymar could be the bait that they are using to lure him in. According to Marca, Neymar has agreed to sign a new four-year deal with the Ligue 1 champions, which means that Messi will have to come to Paris if he is still keen on reuniting with his former attacking partner.

It may be remembered that Messi openly criticised Barcelona after the club agreed to a record-breaking deal to let Neymar join PSG in 2017. He has since been asking the club to bring the Brazilian back to no avail. Neymar did try to make a comeback in 2019, but the deal fell through. This is believed to be yet another reason behind Messi's growing discontent at the Camp Nou.

With Neymar's new deal reportedly keeping him in the French capital until June 2026 and with Messi expressing his desire to leave Barcelona, there is a logical solution. Messi could choose to come to PSG, one of the few clubs who can afford him if he leaves Barcelona.

"I'm very happy at PSG right now. Things have changed a lot, I want to continue next season in Paris and I hope Kylian Mbappe does as well," said Neymar, in a recent interview about his future.

Mbappe has constantly been linked to a move away from the club, but the current financial climate has been keeping even the biggest clubs at bay. It remains to be seen if he will also finalise an extension in the coming weeks, and if Messi will eventually make the trip to join the party at PSG.

Neymar and Messi
Neymar Jr. and Lionel Messi in Barcelona Getty