Lionel Messi reaches total agreement with PSG and will fly to Paris this afternoon for his medical and to sign £500,000-per-week, two-year deal TODAY after leaving Barcelona
Paris Saint-Germain have reached agreement with Lionel Messi and his lawyers with the 34-year-old expected in the French capital this afternoon.
Sources at the French club confirmed Messi’s lawyers had been pouring over the contract proposal since Sunday but gave it their approval this morning and Messi will travel to Paris from his home in Barcelona.
A press conference is set to take place on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes.
The final points of negotiation are understood to have concerned the six-time Ballon d’Or winners image rights, as well as the breakdown of his wages and various bonuses.
The player’s representatives and Barcelona had earlier moved to dispel reports that the Spanish side made a last ditch bid to keep Messi.
Sources close to negotiations have re-affirmed that Barcelona could not afford to keep Messi even if he stayed for free as, even without him, they are above the wage cap for LaLiga this season. For that reason they did not attempt to persuade Messi to drop his salary.
Messi had remained at home in Barcelona awaiting the all-clear to travel to Paris ahead of agreeing a three year deal.
His pending arrival comes at a time when French clubs are reeling from failed TV deals which has impacted revenue.
It is hoped Messi’s presence will stimulate new negotiations with interested TV companies to benefit clubs across the French league.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, talking to L’Equipe, explained how it could lead to an increase in income from BeIN’s overseas rights deal.
He said: ‘If this is confirmed, it’ll be fantastic for us all. For the TV rights and the general marketing value of Ligue 1, it would undeniably be a plus.
‘This time, with Messi, you can’t imagine that in a transparent context the broadcasting rights sold by BeIN abroad wouldn’t explode.
‘I am very confident. If this transfer goes through, with Neymar and Mbappé there, we are in a favourable position.
‘If Qatar take the initiative to build a great team at PSG, we’ll all be happy – even if it makes the competition more difficult. But you need the other clubs, at least the ones going for European places, to have the means to sign players like Messi. In that case, we would become the number one league in Europe. For that to happen, BeIN has to be positive with the international rights to develop them even further.’
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