Paris refutes Messi pay

PARIS Saint-Germain’s sporting director Leonardo angrily dismissed as “very far from reality” claimS the Qatar-owned club was paying Lionel Messi a “giant” salary of $177.5m over the next three seasons.

Leonardo’s forceful denial came on the eve of Messi’s first home match since his stunning arrival from Barcelona.

“We didn’t like those reports, it’s very far from the reality in terms of the length and the figures,” Leonardo said.

“There are confidentiality clauses, but I can tell you it’s not the truth.

“The length of the contract is two years and not three,

Messi, 34, is due to turn out in the Ligue 1 meeting with Lyon, teammate Mbappe is far from certain with the French World Cup winner nursing a foot injury from the Champions League opener.

“He trained with the squad taking a couple of precautions to make sure he got through,” Pochettino said.