Lionel Messi agreed to join PSG on a two-year contract. The announcement comes just 24 hours after Barcelona released a statement saying the Argentinean superstar will not be at Camp Nou next season. Messi spent 21 years at Barcelona, joining the club’s youth setup as a 13-year-old in 2000 from South-American side Newell’s Old Boys.
On Friday evening, after transfer market specialists Fabrizio Romano and Mohamed Bouhafsi revealed the advanced state in the talks between PSG and Messi‘s representatives, the Emir of Qatar’s brother took to Twitter to announce the “negotiations are officially concluded,†adding that an official announcement will be made at a later stage. PSG is owned by Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the acting Emir of Qatar.
Messi will earn close to $35 million per year and will have the option to add a third season in Paris to the first first two in his contract, thus staying in the French capital until 2024.
Negotiations are officially concluded. And announce later #Messi #Paris_Saint_Germain pic.twitter.com/BxlmCfARII
— خلـــيÙØ© بـــن Øمـــد آلــ ثانــــــي (@khm_althani) August 6, 2021
Messi, the brightest star in PSG’s galaxy
In the Barcelona shirt, Messi played 778 games, scoring 672 goals and assisting another 268. He won the Ballon d’Or a record six times, also claiming 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies, among many others.
Messi is the star of the current transfer window at PSG, but the club moved spectacularly even before convincing the player many believe is the best we’ve ever seen in the game to play at Parc des Princes.
PSG already signed former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos on a free transfer, along with other high-profile players like Achraf Hakimi from Inter, Gianluigi Donnarumma from AC Milan, and Gini Wijnaldum from Liverpool.
Last season, the glamorous PSG finished second in Ligue 1, being beaten in the title race by outsiders Lille.
Messi’s good friend Neymar, who still holds the record for the most expensive player ever transferred ($261 million, in 2017, from Barcelona to PSG) and wunderkind Kylian Mbappe will complete an unstoppable attacking trio at PSG next season. The club is aiming for domestic glory and to finally conquer the Champions League, a trophy that is missing from their record.
