Messi heads to Paris on rumoured €35 million salary

Football legend Lionel Messi has finalised his agreement with Paris Saint-Germain, in a move that confirms the end of his long and fruitful career with Barcelona.

The 34-year old star has agreed on a two-year deal that will net him around €35 million annually, according to The Associated Press, who spoke to sources close to the negotations.

Messi’s father and agent, Jorge Messi, confirmed the move in anexchange with reporters on Tuesday.

Paris Saint-Germain is owned by the State of Qatar, making it the only state-owned club and one of the richest in the world, with its many spending sprees raising the eyes of financial doping regulators.

This summer alone, the Parisian club will be adding tens of millions in wage commitments, with Italy international goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and ex-Real Madrid fan favourite Sergio Ramos signing on for an estimated €12 million each in wages.

The free-spending club is in a starkly different situation to many other European football clubs, including Barcelona, whose plans for a European Super League to steady their revenue streams remain in place.

Messi became the most desired free agent in football history after his Barcelona contract expired.

The Catalan club had hoped to keep Messi, but the financial deal proposed still wouldn’t have complied with the Spanish league’s financial regulations.

PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino was in contact with his fellow Argentine as Barcelona announced last Thursday that Messi would be leaving the club he joined as a 13-year-old before winning every major trophy.

Messi is known as one of the all-time greats, with six Ballon d’Or awards under his belt.

What is certain is that PSG is not only paying that the remarkable salary for only domestic glory.

The Champions’ League has evaded their grasp so far, and PSG will be hoping that Messi can be the one to turn their championship fortunes around.