Desk Report
Publish: 08 Aug 2021, 07:56 pm
Leo Messi (Photo: Collected)
A tearful Lionel Messi has
said his next move is not confirmed at an emotional farewell news conference
Sunday, but ESPN sources said a deal with Paris Saint-Germain has already been
agreed.
Messi, who has been a free
agent since his contract expired at Camp Nou on June 30, had maintained his
silence since Barca announced on Thursday that he will not sign new terms
because of financial problems.
Argentina forward said
he had received several calls from clubs since the news broke, confirming PSG's
interest, and multiple sources have told ESPN that he has already agreed to
sign for the Ligue 1 side.
Sources added that Messi is
expected to travel to Paris soon before completing a medical in the coming days
and signing a two-year deal with the option for a third season. He could be
presented at an event at the Eiffel Tower in the coming days.
"[PSG] is one
possibility," Messi said. "There's nothing closed at the moment, but
we're talking about a lot of things. After Barca's statement, a lot of clubs
showed an interest. There's nothing final but, of course, there are
talks."
Asked about the prospect of
joining a rival, he added: "There is no doubt that I will go to a team
that will compete with Barca. I didn't want to leave, but I have to. And I want
to keep winning. That's my mentality. I want to win."
Messi said a photograph of
him with several PSG players in the Spanish island resort of Ibiza last week,
including Neymar and Angel Di Maria, was just a coincidence, although he said
they did joke about him moving to Paris.
Instead, in an event at the
auditorium to the side of Camp Nou attended by the board, the first-team squad
and his family, Messi insisted he had done everything possible to stay at
Barca.
"I am really sad
because I didn't want to leave because this is the club I love," he said.
"I didn't expect this. I have never lied; I have always been honest and
upfront. Last year I wanted to leave; this year I didn't. That's why I am so
sad.
"As the president
[Joan Laporta] has explained, the club has debt [problems]. It's not possible.
Why keep drawing it out if it's nearly impossible? The talks stopped as Barca
did not want to go on, they knew LaLiga would not let it happen, it was
impossible.
"I did everything I
could to stay and it wasn't possible. I offered to reduce my salary by 50% and
Barca didn't ask for anything else. They didn't ask for another 30%; that's a
lie."
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Topic : Lionel Messi Paris Saint-Germain
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