PSG favourites to sign Lionel Messi after Barcelona departure


  • English
  • Arabic

Paris Saint-Germain have emerged as the favourites to sign Lionel Messi after the Argentine superstar left cash-strapped Barcelona.

Barca president Joan Laporta said on Friday he was not prepared "to put the club at risk" by renewing Messi's contract, as the club face up to huge financial problems ahead of the start of La Liga on August 15.

Laporta said Barcelona were no longer negotiating with Messi and the 34-year-old forward was considering other offers.

"The player has other offers and there is a time limit because La Liga starts soon and he needs time to assess his other options," Laporta admitted.

PSG, who bought Neymar from Barcelona for a world-record $264 million in 2017, appear favourites to sign Messi according to reports in France on Friday.

Broadcaster RMC Sport reported that Messi has informed PSG of his desire to join the club and that discussions are ongoing over a two-year deal with the option of a third season.

Le Parisien reported that Messi's father and representative Jorge had reached out to PSG after it became clear the player would not be staying in Catalonia.

"Our president is looking at ways of improving the team," PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino, Messi's fellow Argentinian, said earlier.

Manchester City, who attempted to sign him last year, had also been linked with a move. However City manager Pep Guardiola, Messi's former coach at the Camp Nou, dismissed that, saying that "right now it is not in our thoughts, absolutely not."

Messi had reached agreement with Barcelona to sign a five-year contract worth 50 per cent less per year.

But La Liga's financial fair play rules, which are expected to reduce the amount Barca can spend on salaries this season by some $235 million, led Laporta to conclude they were unable to complete the deal.

"We could not accommodate Messi's contract," said Laporta, who was re-elected as club president in March.

"The situation we have inherited is abominable and the sports salary bill represents 110 per cent of the club's income.

"La Liga's rules set limitations and we have no margin. We have known the situation since we arrived but the numbers we have seen are even worse than we thought."

Barcelona have total debts of almost 1.2 billion euros, with more than half of that needing to be repaid in the short term.

Laporta said they found the club's losses for the season just ended were almost 500 million euros, more than double what they expected.

La Liga announced a deal with US private equity firm CVC earlier this week, under which it agreed to sell 10 per cent of the business for 50 years, in exchange for an immediate injection of 2.7 billion euros. Clubs in Spain's top two divisions would receive 90 per cent of the funds.

Laporta suggested that with the new salary cap rules, Barca could only have registered Messi if they agreed to the CVC deal but insisted it was a risk he was not prepared to take.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have publicly objected to the CVC agreement. "I am not willing to mortgage the club for anyone. We have an institution that is above everyone, even the best player in the world," Laporta said.

Messi tried to leave Barcelona for free last year but was forced to stay after the club told him an exit clause in his contract had expired.

He went on to score 38 goals in 47 games in all competitions. That, and Laporta's re-election as president, changed the dynamic and the expectation was Messi would sign a new deal.

"Leo wanted to stay and he's not happy," said Laporta. "I have told the players that a new stage in Barca's history is beginning and that we have to continue winning without Messi."

Laporta said he felt "sadness and disappointment" but that he "did everything possible" to keep Messi, who joined Barcelona aged 13 and has 672 goals in 778 appearances for the club.

Teammate Sergio Busquets posted a farewell message to Messi on Instagram, writing: "You arrived as a child and leave as the best player in history."

With Barcelona, Messi won La Liga 10 times and the Champions League four times. He is also a six-time winner of the Ballon d'Or.

"Leo Messi has been an icon and has left some historic moments. We have eternal gratitude to him," Laporta said.

Scream%20VI
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Matt%20Bettinelli-Olpin%20and%20Tyler%20Gillett%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Melissa%20Barrera%2C%20Jasmin%20Savoy%20Brown%2C%20Jack%20Champion%2C%20Dermot%20Mulroney%2C%20Jenna%20Ortega%2C%20Hayden%20Panettiere%20and%20Courteney%20Cox%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
88 Video's most popular rentals

Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.  

Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.

Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Fighting with My Family

Director: Stephen Merchant 

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell        

Four stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results:

5pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600 metres

Winner: Dasan Da, Saeed Al Mazrooei (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m

Winner: AF Saabah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m

Winner: Mukaram, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel

6.30pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 2,200m

Winner: MH Tawag, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) | Dh70,000 | 1,400m

Winner: RB Inferno, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m

Winner: Juthoor, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile

Started: 2016

Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel 

Based: Ramallah, Palestine

Sector: Technology, Security

# of staff: 13

Investment: $745,000

Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

While you're here

Various Artists 
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
​​​​​​​

Updated: July 03, 2023, 12:17 PM`