Messi’s transfer to Barcelona FC is 80% done
Barcelona and Lionel Messi are close to a deal that will see the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner return to Camp Nou, according to Spanish sources.
The Blaugrana haven’t hidden their intention to bring the club legend back in recent months. Without a contract at PSG this summer, talks of a return have recently materialized. Reports in Spain on Monday suggested the 35-year-old has made a final decision regarding his future: signing for Barcelona.
However, one of the biggest obstacles to a deal has always been the club’s dire financial situation. Barcelona need to withdraw €200m from their wage bill to comply with next season’s Financial Fair Play rules and with match-fixing allegations threatening Camp Nou, Barcelona need La Liga approval to complete a move for Messi. According to Catalunya Ràdio, talks between the player’s camp and the club are well advanced and a ‘full agreement’ will be reached shortly. If the deal goes through – again subject to La Liga’s approval – Messi would stay at Barcelona for two seasons, with his final farewell expected to take place at the renovated and expanded Camp Nou, which will accommodate over 100,000 people.
Besides, the report goes on to say that Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets would definitely stay at the Blaugrana for another season if the Messi deal materializes. However, both players would probably have to take significant pay cuts in order to lower Barcelona’s wage bill.
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Lionel Messi at PSG: Goals and Assists
Lionel Messi shocked the footballing world with his transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and is delivering impressive stats in his second season after a quiet first season.
La Liga rules prevented Barca from renewing their star player’s contract amid financial difficulties and a transfer from Bosman forced Messi to join PSG. Messi won Ligue 1 with PSG in his first year at the club, but his debut season in France fell short of the high expectations raised by his team move.
The Argentine great failed to display the spectacular singles numbers he often produced at the Camp Nou and failed to help PSG lift the Champions League trophy he so desperately dreams of.
Still, the 2022/23 season offered big chances for Messi, now 35, to redeem himself and he did. Messi started the season perfectly by scoring the first goal of PSG from 2022/23. He broke the dead ends in the Nantes Thrasis 4-0 on July 31 in the champion’s trophies.
A week later, he played a decisive role in a 7-1 victory against Lille. He created the first goal of the match for Kylian Mbappe after only eight seconds when he reached a pass at the Defense top, so his colleague scored a goal. After a step that he started in the midfielder, Messi took a sweet finish. While no more goals or assists would follow afterward, it was a performance that continued to mark the Argentine’s return to form.
The following week against Monaco proved to be a more challenging affair as PSG dropped their first points of the season in a 1–1 draw. Messi’s influence was limited by a strong performance from the visitors’ midfield, although he still managed a superb shot from the post, which was inches from the net. He was substituted for the first time this season and went off with three minutes remaining.
He was also substituted a few days later in a 3-0 win over Toulouse, but not before providing two more assists for partners Neymar and Mbappé. Two more assists came three days later as PSG went to Coupe de France winners Nantes. They once again achieved a 3-0 victory away, with Messi scoring the first two goals for Kylian Mbappé.
Messi neither scored nor assisted in the 2-1 Champions League win against Juventus on Matchday 1, but performed well as PSG started their European campaign in the best possible way. The veteran came back with a goal in his next game as PSG narrowly beat Brest 1-0. Messi took care of the assist for Neymar on the half hour. And Messi made history in the 3-1 Champions League win against Maccabi Haifa. His equalizing goal allowed him to break the record for most opponents (39) against whom a player has scored in the Champions League. It also meant that he had scored in 18 consecutive Champions League seasons, another record.
His scoring streak continued the following Sunday in an important Ligue 1 match against Lyon. Indeed, he scored the only goal of the game with a fine finish after being set up by Neymar. Messi scored perhaps his best goal so far this season, his free kick in a 2-1 win over Nice last Saturday night to leave Kasper Schmeichel with no chance.
He broke another record in his next match against Benfica, which became the 40th team Messi had scored against in the Champions League. The Argentine was late withdrawn from the fixture in Portugal with a minor calf injury.
Though it was hoped the problem wouldn’t stop him from showing up later, Messi was forced to watch from the stands as PSG were held to a goalless draw and then played out to a second-half 1-1 draw against Benfica.
Messi returned to the starting XI for Le Classique on 16 October against Marseille at the Parc des Princes.
Though he didn’t score against OM, he was back in goalscoring in Ajaccio the following week, completing a brilliant goal for second side PSG in a brilliant 3–0 win. But, as always with Messi, his performance was much more than the goal; he created two for Mbappe, both thanks to very intelligent passes.