COMING TO TERMS
Barcelona are still coming to terms with the departure of their greatest-ever player, who said goodbye to his club of two decades at a tearful news conference on Sunday.
Despite offering to cut his salary by half to seal a new five-year contract with the Catalans, the deal foundered on Spanish league salary cap rules.
Barcelona, carrying debts of €1.2 billion (US$1.4 billion), are unable to register new signings because of their financial predicament.
With Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City having ruled themselves out, PSG were about the only club that could afford what is expected to be a deal worth €35 million a year.
He leaves Barcelona with 672 goals in 778 appearances, a record tally for one club.
Messi won 35 trophies at the Camp Nou after joining Barca aged 13, but his last appearance was a damp squib: A 2-1 home defeat behind closed doors against Celta Vigo in May.
His trophy haul includes four Champions League and 10 La Liga titles.
“Firstly, I’m a little sad for him. He wanted to stay at Barcelona,” former teammate Cesc Fabregas said late on Tuesday.
“I’m from Barcelona and you know it’s going to be difficult to watch Barca without Leo.”
PSG BUILDING
This summer, PSG have already added veteran Spanish defender Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, the star of Euro 2020.
They have also signed Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool, snatching the Netherlands’ midfielder from under the noses of Barcelona, and spent €60 million on Inter Milan right-back Achraf Hakimi, who scored on his PSG league debut at the weekend.
Messi could be unveiled to supporters on Saturday, when PSG host Strasbourg and a full house of nearly 48,000 will be allowed in for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic struck 18 months ago.
However, he is unlikely to make his debut until later this month at the earliest.