"We closed the Messi deal in 3 days" - PSG sporting director on signing Lionel Messi from Barcelona
PSG sporting director Leonardo Araujo recently revealed some interesting details about how his club signed Lionel Messi from FC Barcelona. Leonardo disclosed via Europe 1 that the French club were able to close the Messi deal within three days.
The world was stunned when they learned that Barcelona weren't able to finance a contract extension for Lionel Messi, who is certainly the greatest player in their club's history. The Catalan club are going through a tough time and as a result they had no other option than to let go of their top earner, Lionel Messi.
When the news broke out that Messi will no longer be part of Barcelona, fans started speculating about his next destination. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain were touted as possible destinations for the Argentinian.
In the end, it was PSG who convinced Messi to join their team as they offered him a record breaking deal.
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Lionel Messi signs for PSG on a free transfer.
That wasn’t normal to type https://t.co/VHLS9DELC5
In a recent interview with Europe 1, PSG sporting director Leonardo Araujo revealed that his club was able to close the Messi deal within 3 days. Fans were surprised when they learned this detail as a transfer deal, involving a player who is considered one of the greatest players of all time, was closed within a matter of days.
This could also be due to the fact that every party involved in this deal wanted just one outcome and that was to move Lionel Messi to PSG. Leonardo also praised Messi for adapting so quickly into his new environment.
“We closed the Messi deal in three days. We thought he was going to stay in Barcelona. If you look at the statistics, his first months in Paris are spectacular. He has played the same way for twenty years. He's a genius,” said Leonardo.
PSG star Messi has reportedly no intentions of returning to Barcelona
According to a report from Catalan newspaper Sport, Lionel Messi has no intentions of returning to Barcelona. The former Barcelona star recently made his switch to PSG and has been trying to fit into the tactical setup of Mauricio Pochettino.
Messi is yet to find his form as the 34 year old has been struggling in the French League. This has resulted in a rise in speculation which suggested the seven-time Ballon D'Or winner is considering leaving the club.
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However, reports suggest that Messi has no intention of returning to Barcelona. It also stated how the Argentinian wants to work with his team and Pochettino to lift the UEFA Champions League, which is more of an ultimate dream for the french club.
Lionel Messi and PSG will face Real Madrid in the last 16 rounds of the Champions League. The French club are somewhat more comfortable when it comes to their standings in Ligue 1 as they are the table toppers.