Lionel Messi has finally completed his free transfer to Paris Saint Germain earlier today.
The 34-year-old Argentine has signed a two-year contract with the French outfit worth around €25 million per year, and he has been handed a hefty sign-on fee of €25 million as well.
Lionel Messi Shirt number in PSG revealed
PSG have an option to extend his contract by another season, and the player will wear the number 30 shirt. Messi wore the same number at Barcelona when he first broke into the first-team scene.
After completing his move to PSG, Messi revealed that he is excited to begin a new chapter of his career, and he revealed that the club matches his football ambitions.
Meanwhile, club chief Nasser al-Khelaifi added that he is proud to welcome the player and his family to Paris, and he is looking forward to the player making history with the club.
Messi said on Tuesday: “I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Paris Saint-Germain. Everything about the club matches my football ambitions. I know how talented the squad and the coaching staff are here.
“I am determined to help build something special for the club and the fans, and I am looking forward to stepping out onto the pitch at the Parc des Princes.”
Reactions from Ligue 1 President and PSG CEO
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the club’s chairman and CEO, added: “I am delighted that Lionel Messi has chosen to join Paris Saint-Germain, and we are proud to welcome him and his family to Paris.
“He has made no secret of his desire to continue competing at the very highest level and winning trophies, and naturally, our ambition as a club is to do the same. The addition of Leo to our world-class squad continues a very strategic and successful transfer window for the club.
“Led by our outstanding coach and his staff, I look forward to the team making history together for our fans all around the world.”
Meanwhile, Ligue 1 president Vincent Labrune has also shared his reaction to Messi’s arrival in the French league.
He believes that the arrival of the Argentine superstar is a planetary event, and it is a historic day for French football. Labrune added that Messi’s arrival will give tremendous exposure to the league on an international scale, and he also labelled the transfer as a dream morphing into reality.
He said: “The arrival of Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain is a planetary event. It’s a historic day for French football and Ligue 1 Uber Eats. Lionel Messi is a football legend, who has along with Pelé and Diego Maradona, made the history of our sport. It’s a fantastic opportunity for French football fans and all lovers of football to be able to watch the best player in the world in our stadiums or on TV.
“It’s also fantastic news for the exposure of Ligue 1 on an international scale. The arrival of Lionel Messi will grow the attractiveness and visibility of our league across all continents.”
“This unique event is the fruit of the PSG management’s strategy, who have allowed the club to become one of the biggest franchises in world sport in the space of 10 years. In the name of French professional football, I want to thank Nasser Al-Khelaifi for making this dream a reality. Messi is magic.”
