Lionel Messi has agreed on a two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain to join the French club following his surprise exit from Barcelona.
The 34-year-old Argentinian captain left Barcelona, the only club he has been playing for more than 20 years. His exit from the club was as a result of not being able to afford a new deal under La Liga’s financial fair play rules.
During a program on BBC Radio 5 Live, Guillem Balague, a spanish journalist said, “Lionel Messi is going to be a PSG player. That’s it, it’s done. It’s happened in the last few minutes.“
He added: “His idea was to do it in Barcelona but it’s going to be PSG. Then if he feels OK he will stay one more year maybe. But in any case, his aim is to be at PSG and then to do well in the Qatar World Cup. ”Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Messi scored a record 672 goals in 778 games for Barca, the club he joined as a 13-year-old.
Messi has won the Ballon d’Or a record six times and lifted 35 trophies with the Catalan club. Messi will be reuniting with his former Barca team-mate Neymar at the Parc des Princes. This captures an amazing memory in football’s history. Unless there are any late hitches, he will become PSG’s fourth free-transfer signing this summer after the arrival of midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, defender Sergio Ramos and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Highly rated right-back Achraf Hakimi also joined from Inter Milan.
Prior to Messi leaving Barcelona, he agreed to a new deal on 50% of his old wages to remain at Barcelona but the club could not afford to implement it because they were so far above the wage limit allowed by La Liga.
