(SATSports) – Argentine forward Lionel Messi has agreed to join French giants Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal worth £25 million per year after tax, plus bonuses, according to multiple reports.
The deal includes the option of extending the 34-year-old’s stay by a third year, while he will also receive a £25 million signing-on fee.
The news comes less than a week after Messi’s old club Barcelona announced its all-time top goalscorer will leave the club and not sign a new five-year deal.
According to the Spanish club, “financial and structural obstacles” meant the deal could not be finalized, meaning Messi left the club where he had been for 21 years as a free agent.
During an emotional farewell press conference on Sunday in which Messi confirmed he was leaving Barcelona, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner said he “did everything” he could to remain at the club, including agreeing to a 50 percent wage cut.
However, Barcelona is crippled by La Liga’s rules on club spending and even slashing Messi’s pay in half was not enough to guarantee he extended his stay at the Nou Camp.
Last year, Messi, who won 35 trophies with Barcelona, asked to leave the club but changed his mind. This year, he wanted to stay and an agreement was in place but Barcelona could not afford to retain him.
It is believed that PSG’s potential to compete for major trophies, especially the Champions League, influenced Messi’s decision to join the club where he will be reunited with former teammate Neymar, with whom he won six titles with Barcelona.
