Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi finally leaves his boyhood club Barcelona and joins PSG on a two-year deal!
Last week Barcelona announced that Lionel Messi would be leaving the club after 21 years. It came as a result of the club being in financial difficulty and not being able to sort out Messi’s new contract.
Messi’s contract was running out this summer and he had already agreed to take a 50% wage cut, but this still wasn’t enough. A La Liga ruling states that he could go any less than 50% of his previous wage and as a result would be unable to re-sign for Barcelona.
PSG came in for him straight away, and are one of the only clubs that could afford to sign him. It took several days to sort out the contract for him to join the French club, which was finalised last night.
Messi has signed for two years in which he will receive £25 million per year after tax, as well as bonuses and a £25 million signing on fee!
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Will Messi Make The Difference?
It’s been no secret that when the owners of PSG took over the club, the main aim was always to win the Champions League. In 2020 they finished runners up and last season they were beaten in the semi-finals.
PSG have brought in a lot of quality players this summer, which includes Ramos, Hakimi, and Wijnaldum. Adding Messi to this and their frontline of Mbappe and Neymar has now made them favourites for this season’s Champions League.
Messi has four Champions League trophies to his name so has the experience of doing it as well as the quality to do so, which goes without saying. With him being 34 now, we may see him being rested more often in the Ligue 1, so that he is fully fit for the Champions League.
