The presence of Lionel Messi in Ligue 1 is great for French football.

That is according to Nantes winger Moses Simon, speaking exclusively to TribalFootball.com.

The football world was stunned last summer when Messi swapped lifelong club Barcelona for PSG on a free transfer.

Arguably the greatest footballer of all time, the Argentine maestro scored 672 goals in 778 appearances for Barca.

PSG fans were salivating once Messi completed a fearsome triumvirate along with Kylian Mbappe and his old Barca pal Neymar.

Things haven't gone to plan however as PSG were recently eliminated from the Champions League, and Messi has scored just two league goals in 18 appearances.

Contracted until the summer of 2023, Nantes and Nigeria winger Simon hopes Messi sees out his contract in France.

"We all know that Messi is a great player," he told TribalFootball.com. "So, everyone was happy when we heard that he was coming to French Lique 1 to play for PSG.

"We had good feelings about the news of his coming to PSG. It is good for the players, it is good for the French league because we all felt that his coming to French Lique 1 will raise the standard of play of every player.

"We all have to work hard to play very well against Messi and PSG on the pitch.

"Messi is one of the best players to ever grace the football pitch. His presence in French Lique 1 is very good for French football."

Messi has been linked with an emotional return to Barcelona in the summer.

The La Masia graduate burst into tears when announcing his departure from the club at a press conference last year.