Following his shocking exit from Barcelona, Lionel Messi has signed a two-year contract with Paris St-Germain.
The Argentine star, considered one of the world’s all-time best football players, also has the option of extending his new contract for an additional year.
“I am impatient to start a new chapter of my career in Paris. The club and its vision are in perfect harmony with my ambitions. I know how talented the players and staff are here. I am determined to build, alongside them, something great for the club and for the fans. I can’t wait to set foot on the Parc des Princes pitch,” said the 34-year-old player.
On Tuesday, August 5, Messi confirmed that he was leaving Barcelona - the club where he has spent his entire professional career thus far. The football star joined the Catalan club as a 13-year old, participated in 778 games, and scored a record 672 goals. In total, Messi lifted 35 trophies with Barca and has won the Ballon d’Or six times.
Although finding a way to keep Messi at Nou Camp had been Joan Laporta’s main priority this summer, the attempts to get Messi to pen a new contract were endangered by the club’s financial issues. The reason behind Messi’s departure is quite simple: Barca wasn’t able to afford a new deal with the striker under the financial fair play rules imposed by La Liga.
Following the arrivals of Georginio Wijnaldum, a midfielder from Netherlands, Spanish defender Sergio Ramos, and Italy’s star goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Messi has become PSG’s fourth player to join as a free agent this summer.
Messi is expected to make his Parc des Princes debut against Strasbourg on Saturday, August 14. The football star will wear the number 30 on his shirt and play in a front three with Mbappe and Neymar, PSG’s two all-time most expensive transfers and football superstars in their own right.
With the Argentine star onboard, PSG stands a good chance at winning the UEFA Champions League for the first time - at least according to predictions by the top sports betting sites around.
