Paris Saint-Germain have offered a contract to free agent Lionel Messi, who is yet to agree on a new deal with Barcelona.
Messi’s contract at Camp Nou has now expired and although talks over a new deal are making steady progress, there are major financial hurdles to navigate before anything can be finalised, with Barcelona already well over their salary cap.
The Spanish side are trying to find a way to tie Messi down to a new deal, but according to AS, PSG are keen to take advantage of the hold-up and have reached out to the 34-year-old with a lucrative contract of their own.
PSG have formally spoken to Messi’s father and have lodged an offer which includes a significantly higher salary than has been proposed by Barcelona in the hope of convincing him to head to the Parc des Princes this summer.
Messi has made it clear he will not make a formal decision on his future until after the Copa America, in which Argentina’s journey is set to continue after they secured a 3-0 win over Ecuador to book a spot in the semi-final.
PSG are more than happy to give Messi the time he wants, but it may all be in vain as the winger is thought to be determined to figure out a way to stay at Barcelona.
Messi has made it clear to Barcelona that he would prefer to stay for at least a few more seasons, but Barcelona’s financial situation means sorting things out is not as easy as it should be. Not only can they not meet his initial wage demands, but they can’t come anywhere close.
Club officials have been looking for a way to defer payments to Messi, including exploring a ten-year deal which would see him pick up a monster salary as an ambassador once his playing career comes to a close, but La Liga rules are very strict about contracts and even an accidental breach of the rules could be incredibly costly.
Lionel Messi on a court: Messi hopes to stay at Barcelona | Quality Sport Images/Getty Images© Quality Sport Images/Getty Images Messi hopes to stay at Barcelona | Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
PSG have no such worries financially. They are overflowing with money and have already been flashing the cash this summer. Georginio Wijnaldum has already completed a free transfer to the club and is expected to be followed by both Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma, and that’s before the £60m move for Inter’s Achraf Hakimi comes into play.
President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has long dreamed of landing one of Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo and believes now is the chance to make that a reality.
