Lionel Messi to Join PSG for $41 Million a Year

Argentine superstar, Lionel Messi has finalized agreement on his Paris Saint-Germain contract and flew to France on Tuesday to complete the move that confirms the end of a career-long association with Barcelona.

Associated Press quoting a person with knowledge, reported that the 34-year-old Argentina star has agreed a two-year deal with the option for a further season.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the contract ahead of it being signed and the official announcement.

Messi is set to earn around 35 million euros ($41 million) net annually, the person said. Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, also confirmed Messi was moving to PSG in a brief exchange with reporters at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport on Tuesday.

Funded for a decade by Qatari sovereign wealth, PSG is one of the few clubs in the world that could finance the signing that links Messi up with Brazil forward Neymar and France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe.

While PSG had to pay 222 million euros (then $261 million) to sign Neymar from Barcelona in 2017, there was no transfer fee for Messi.

Messi became the most desired free agent in soccer history after his Barcelona contract expired. The Catalan club had hoped to keep Messi, who agreed to a pay cut but it still wouldn’t have complied with the Spanish league’s financial regulations.