"We have reached the ceiling" - PSG's director of sponsorship says Ligue 1 giants are unable to meet demands for Lionel Messi jerseys
Director of sponsorship at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Marc Armstrong has stated that it is very difficult for the club to cope with the ever-increasing demand for Lionel Messi jerseys. According to Armstrong, there has been an estimated 30-40% rise in the demand for the Jordan kits.
Armstrong threw some light on the business side of things following Messi's transfer to PSG last summer. Speaking to MARCA (via PSGTalk) on the subject, he said:
“Yes, the demand has grown between 30 and 40%, and what can really stop it is the offer. When a transfer of this magnitude happens, Ronaldo to United, for example, you might think that they are going to pay him by selling shirts, but that is not the case. You can’t overproduce a bunch of t-shirts."
Elaborating on the demand, he added that they have already reached maximum capacity.
“The agreement is set to guarantee very important minimums, but we cannot meet the demand for Messi shirts. We have reached the ceiling. No one can meet that demand. We are already selling many jerseys, more than perhaps any other team in the world for one player, and that puts us at the next level. We have a lot of demand for lifestyle products, the revenue with the Jordan brand is huge, but the demand grows even more when you sign a player like Messi.”
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Lionel Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in the summer of 2021 from Barcelona. The deal was one of the biggest and most shocking transfers of the summer with the Argentinian ace ending his 17-year association with Barcelona. The hype was only rivaled by Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer from Juventus to Manchester United later in the window.
According to a report from Goal back in December 2021, PSG have already sold about one million shirts with Messi's name on the back.
Lionel Messi has picked up his PSG form since the turn of the year
Lionel Messi had a slow start to new life in Paris. In 11 Ligue 1 games in 2021, Messi scored just one goal, much to the chagrin of the Parisian faithful. However, the 34-year-old has been one of PSG's most in-form players since the turn of the year. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has since contributed a goal and six assists in his last six Ligue 1 appearances.
However, Messi failed to inspire PSG as they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of OGC Nice in Ligue 1 on Saturday. The former Barcelona superstar also had an off-day against Real Madrid in the Champions League last month when he had his penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois.
Leo Messi failed to make a single shot in a league game for the first time since 2009/2010 against Nice last night. 😨 https://t.co/DIzpoEcmum
Lionel Messi's overall record for the Parisian giants currently stands at seven goals and 11 assists in 25 games across all competitions. However, just two of those goals have come in the league.