Messi will sign for Paris Saint Germain in the coming days, several reports claim. The talks between the player and the club over a free transfer are at an advanced stage, and he has even picked the number he will wear while in Paris.
The Argentine will leave Barcelona after spending 17 years with the Catalan club. An agreement between the player and Paris Saint-Germain is said to be close. Reports claim that the 34-year-old has even decided the shirt number he will wear at his new club.
Julien Maynard (French media outlet Telefoot) reports that Messi will take the No. 19 jersey at PSG – a number he has donned for both Barcelona and Argentina previously before picking his talismanic number 10. However, Neymar holds the number for PSG currently, and Messi will reportedly accommodate by switching to 19.
RMC football chief editor Mohamed Bouhafsi reports that the Parisians have offered Messi a deal that will run on until 2023, with the option to extend it one year further. The Argentinian’s father and agent, Jorge Messi, will meet with the club soon to discuss the final terms before an agreement is finalized. The striker is expected to earn 35 million euros during his time in Paris.
Messi will become PSG’s fourth major free signing this summer and sixth overall if the deal goes through. Danilo Pereira left Mauricio Pochettino’s side on loan earlier in the window, while Achraf Hakimi joined in a big-money deal from Inter Milan.
They also signed Georginio Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos, and Gianluigi Donnarumma on free transfers after the players refused to extend their contracts at their previous clubs.
