…may get two-year deal
BY ANDREW EKEJIUBA
Barcelona has officially confirmed the departure of Lionel Messi from the club as the megastar is in advanced talks with Paris Saint-Germain which already emerged as strong favourites to sign the dare-devil striker.
The Argentine soccer legend has spoken directly with Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino as he moves closer to joining the French club.
PSG are expected to offer Messi a two-year deal, worth £25m a year after tax – with the option of a further year, with the 34-year-old and his father Jorge braced for the arrival of the offer.
Messi is open to joining PSG, but he and his representatives want to take time to assess their options following his shock exit from the Nou Camp.
PSG believe they have a good chance of completing a deal and can afford to sign him without breaking any Financial Fair Play rules.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos and Georginio Wijnaldum have already arrived at the Parc des Princes on free transfers this summer.
Messi, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, had officially been a free agent since July 1 after he failed to agree terms over a renewal before his previous Barca contract expired on June 30.
Messi had spent his entire career at Barcelona, coming through the club’s academy before going on to score 672 goals in 778 appearances after making his senior debut in 2003.
Lionel Messi moving to Paris will raise French football’s profile around the world but serious questions will be asked about PSG’s ability to operate within financial fair play (FFP) rules.
French clubs have been hit extremely hard by the pandemic. Ligue 1 and 2 did not finish their seasons after they were suspended in March last year and the LFP’s €800m-a-year domestic broadcast deal with Mediapro collapsed four months into its first season.
Despite the problems in French football, PSG, backed by their Qatari owners, are confident they can balance their books by selling players and sign Messi without breaking FFP rules.
Any deal for Messi would also be a huge boost for Qatar as it prepares to host the World Cup next year.
