Star forward Lionel Messi has joined French giants Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal following his departure from FC Barcelona. Messi, the 34-year-old Argentine forward, who recently bid a tearful goodbye to Nou Camp, where he spent 21 years of his life at, also has the option of a third year. The exact details of Messi’s financial terms were not declared but it is believed that he will reportedly be earning $41 million per year. PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi was thrilled to have Messi on board: “I am delighted that Lionel Messi has chosen to join Paris St-Germain and we are proud to welcome him to Paris, with his family.
With the signing, Messi becomes PSG’s fourth free-transfer this summer after Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy, Georginio Wijnaldum of the Netherlands and Sergio Ramos. Messi will join Brazil’s Neymar and French striker Kylian Mbappe to form a formidable forward attack for the club. Messi had expressed his desire to leave Barcelona last year, but during a tearful press conference had said that things had changed in the last one year and that he was keen to continue with the club. However, given the financial debt the Catalan club was in, Barcelona had to let Messi go even though the 34-year-old had agreed to slash his fee by 50 percent.
A contract leak in January 2021 showed Messi was making much more at FC Barcelona than previously thought; the deal was set to expire in June 2021. The leaked contract showed Messi was able to earn up to $165 million annually in salary and incentives, an unmatched figure in team sports. He launched his own clothing line and opened his first retail outlet, the Messi Store, in 2019 in Barcelona. He also has a lifelong deal with Adidas.