Blockbuster change perfect: Lionel Messi signs with PSG

The deal of the year is perfect: Superstar Lionel Messi joins the French top club Paris Saint-Germain after more than 20 years at FC Barcelona. PSG officially announced the signing of the 34-year-old Argentine late Tuesday evening.

After his contract with Barcelona ends, Messi will move to the French capital on a free transfer. As for information from Goal and SPOX it was already clear that the six-time world footballer signed a two-year contract with an option for another season. Messi will be given the shirt number 30 in Paris, which he wore in Barcelona when he was young. His long-time number 10 belongs to PSG Neymar, and Messi has had a close relationship with the Brazilian since they were together in Barcelona.

Messi spent 21 years at Barcelona

The change was preceded by an almost unique situation that began on Thursday, August 5th, with an earthquake. Barca announced they will not be able to renew Messi’s contract despite an agreement previously reached. The main reasons for this are “structural and economic obstacles”, said the Catalans, referring to “league regulations”. Messi’s contract expired on June 30th. The Argentine international played a total of 778 competitive games for Blaugrana, scoring 672 goals. At the age of 13, he switched to Barca’s offspring in the summer of 2000.

Barcelona is in an economic crisis. President Joan Laporta, who has suffered the consequences of his predecessor Josep Maria Bartomeu’s mismanagement, said the club had no chance of renewing with Messi. “There are objective reasons why we had to make this decision, it is about the economic situation of the club. We would have put the club in great danger,” said Laporta, who made Messi’s whereabouts his main campaign topic for the presidential election.

But before the Messi quake, Barcelona were unable to register the newcomers to Sergio Agüero or Memphis Depay in the league. Deciding to split up with Messi was “the only way” “to have leeway on salary issues,” said Laporta: “We couldn’t do it. Leo wanted to stay, we wanted him to stay. I want everyone thank you who has been involved in the negotiations over the past few months. “

PSG puts together a world selection

PSG were quickly brought into play as a possible new club for Messi. Messi and PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino were said to have first made contact last Thursday. Pochettino denied this, but made no secret of the fact that his compatriot Messi was an option.

During an emotional press conference on Sunday in Barcelona, ​​where he declared himself and kept fighting back tears, Messi said goodbye to his youth club. Even there, he described a move to PSG as an “option”. After that, things went quickly, on Tuesday Messi completed his medical check-up in Paris and then signed the contract.

For PSG, the transfer is an absolute coup and, from the club’s point of view, the hoped-for decisive building block for the Champions League title. In Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the club has three absolute superstars in its ranks, the nine-time French champions had already strengthened themselves prominently and brought Sergio Ramos to the Seine, among others.