It’s officially official now, signed, sealed and delivered- Lionel Messi is now a member of Paris Saint-Germain. The 34-year-old six time Ballon d’Or winning Argentine signed a two year deal with an option on a third.
He’ll wear No. 30, his original numeral from salad days, as the departure from FC Barcelona is now fully complete. Reports claim that he’ll earn between €30-35 million ($35-41 million) net a year from PSG. A Lionel Messi party is set for Wednesday evening at the Eiffel Tower, where it will light up in his honor.
official : #Messi?will wear the number 30 with #PSG club ??
the number he had when he began his professional career at #Barcelona? ?? between 2004-2006 #MessiPSG / #MessiAuPSG pic.twitter.com/hrNXDtG2hW— ???? ?????? ? (@mohamedelgazar4) August 10, 2021
The Lionel Messi statement on joining PSG:
“I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Paris Saint-Germain. Everything about the club matches my football ambitions. I know how talented the squad and the coaching staff are here.
“I am determined to help build something special for the club and the fans, and I am looking forward to stepping out onto the pitch at the Parc des Princes.”
The announcement was made a few hours ago, and there will be a news conference staged in less than four hours from press time.
Don't worry! I'm sure the invisible hand of the free-market, the archangel of pure competition, who provides the divinity of laissez-faire capitalism, will deregulate us all to salvation https://t.co/k7FuAtpEJu
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) August 11, 2021
“I am delighted that Lionel Messi has chosen to join Paris Saint-Germain and we are proud to welcome him and his family to Paris,” a statement attributed to PSG chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi reads.
“He has made no secret of his desire to continue competing at the very highest level and winning trophies, and naturally our ambition as a club is to do the same.
“The addition of Leo to our world-class squad continues a very strategic and successful transfer window for the club.
“Led by our outstanding coach and his staff, I look forward to the team making history together for our fans all around the world.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.