It's happening for real this time
Since Barcelona confirmed that they would be unable to re-sign Lionel Messi, all the discussion around his future has focused on two clubs: Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, for obvious reasons.
With their endless pits of money, they are the only two clubs both good enough and rich enough to attract Messi and pay his wages, even without a transfer fee.
On the same day as this bombshell news breaking, Manchester City announced the signing of Jack Grealish for a reported £100m fee–and gave the Englishman the number 10 shirt. Speaking after Grealish's arrival, City boss Pep Guardiola said: "We spent on Jack Grealish and he will wear number 10 because we convinced about him... and thought Leo would stay.
"Now Messi is not in our plans."
That leaves just one club able to have a free run at Messi, and reports indicate PSG are very close to completing a deal.
Messi reportedly made direct contact with PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino after it became clear that he would not be able to continue at Barcelona, telling him he wanted the move. PSG's current talisman Neymar is also said to have been speaking to Messi about reuniting at the Parc des Princes, four years after the Brazilian departed Barça for the Ligue 1 club.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, famously well connected in the transfer market, reported on Friday evening that PSG are preparing a two-year contract for Messi and that the French club are "so, so confident" of landing the greatest player of all time.
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1423731564521865221
He also reports that the contract offer would see Messi earn €35 million over two years, with the option to extend the deal by a year, at the end of which Messi would be 37 years old.
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1423931268987822084
It is something of a tragedy that Messi is unable to finish his unthinkably successful career at the club he joined as a child, and nobody's fault but Barça's. But the prospect of Messi linking up with Neymar again, alongside Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria is mouth-watering.
