Twitter explodes as Lionel Messi agrees to join Paris Saint-Germain
After a dramatic turn of events that saw him leave Barcelona against his will, Lionel Messi has now reportedly agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain.
The ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano has reported that Lionel Messi has agreed a two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain. The deal will feature an option to extend his contract until June 2024.
Messi will reportedly earn €35 million per season, including add-ons. Fabrizio adds that the 34-year-old will arrive in Paris shortly to take care of the remaining formalities.
Barcelona confirmed that they won't be able to extend Lionel Messi's contract this past Thursday. Up until then, everything had pointed towards Messi renewing his contract with the Catalans.
However, Barcelona's financial woes were so severe that despite Lionel Messi agreeing to a 50% wage cut, they couldn't retain him.
Lionel Messi bid emotional farewell to Barcelona ahead of Paris Saint-Germain move
Messi addressed the press after the club confirmed his exit. He broke down as emotions got the better of him. Messi has played his entire career at Barcelona and the untimely exit was quite heartbreaking.
He said:
"I am really sad because I didn't want to leave because this is the club I love. 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."
One man's loss is another man's gain and Paris Saint-Germain have just added arguably the greatest player of all time to their already star-studded lineup. At Paris Saint-Germain, Messi will join hands with his former teammate Neymar, with whom he has a telepathic connection.
PSG will also use Messi's arrival to persuade Kylian Mbappe to sign a new contract. Football fans are also waiting to see Messi team up with former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, with whom he has had multiple on-pitch spats.
Without further ado, let's take a look at how Twitter responded to Lionel Messi's move to Paris Saint-Germain.