PSG Luis Campos exclusive interview: "We are in talks with Leo Messi"

The sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Campos, spoke to the French media outlet Telefoot on Sunday morning and touched on multiple topics related to PSG.

Campos, who was already in charge of the sporting area of Paris Saint-Germain last May, was the man tasked with inking Kylian Mbappe into a new deal to stay in Paris.

While Campos achieved that by signing Mbappe through 2024 with a one-year option after that, he then failed to strengthen PSG properly in the summer, and the winter transfer markets missing on landing top-tier targets such as Milan Skriniar to bolster the defense or Robert Lewandowski to help the forward group.

After parting ways with Mauricio Pochettino and Leonardo at the end of last season, Luis Campos became one half of the new PSG with the other one being coach Christophe Galtier.

Here are the best quotes from Campos' interview with Telefoot published on Sunday morning.

About Lionel Messi's rumored contract extension...

"At the moment we are in discussions."

"I would like to have Messi in this project, I can't hide it. I would be delighted if he continues with us."

"We are (still) in discussions at the moment to achieve this objective and to keep Lionel Messi at PSG."

About Neymar and the rumors of a potential sale last summer...

"The truth is that since my arrival at PSG, I have absolutely no criticism to make of Neymar."

"He is always on time, always with a good disposition."

"This Neymar (Ed. note: there were rumors about a bad relationship between Neymar and Campos before the start of this season after the Brazil international underperformed throught last year and put PSG in a position of trying to find a potential buyer for the veteran last summer; that has changed this season, though, with Neymar putting up his best numbers since arriving at PSG from Barcelona a few years ago) is an incredible Neymar."

About the impact of Kylian Mbappe's injury on PSG...

"Losing Kylian, of course, is hard."

"I saw him very sad after his injury, but I also saw him today working to speed up his recovery as soon as possible."

"It (Mbappe's) is the personality of the winners."

About the new project he's building turning into a revolution at PSG...

"It's not a revolution. We are trying to set up a new work model."

"I find it positive. It's only a start but it's a start with good results."

"We tried to be creative with the constraints we have (in the transfer market, because of the Financial Fair Play measures)."

"We crafted a good plan which involved reducing the number of players in the squad to make room for young people and not lose them to the detriment of other big clubs."

About the heavily critiziced failure of landing Hakim Ziyech before the ending of the January transfer window...

"We had the player on our side, here in Paris, and we did everything. But as in all transfers, we need the three parties to work together."

"In this case, PSG did their work, Ziyech did his work, but unfortunately the last part (Chelsea) didn't."

"(Are young players the solution?) Young players? The coach understands very well what the project is. We are very clear in what we want and we will do it."