Every club in the world is imagining signing Lionel Messi if he can leave exercise a clause in his contract that will allow him to leave a year earlier before his contract expires at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Now everyone is allowed to dream of Messi suiting up for their favorite team; however, once reality sets in, only a handful can afford the 33-year-old due to his salary. According to Forbes, at FC Barcelona, the Argentina international earns $104 million (€88 million) annually.
If Messi is allowed to leave on a free transfer, the million-dollar question is, how much would he cost Paris Saint-Germain, who are reportedly monitoring the situation.
Sports economist Vincent Chaudel explained to RMC Sport, who stated that if PSG does indeed pursue Messi, that it would cost them a hefty amount.
“If Messi were to arrive at PSG with a salary level equivalent to what he receives today, we would be on an overall cost for the club, which would be around 130-140 million euros per year, salaries, employee and employer charges included,” said Chaudel.
“This is something colossal. It is more than the budget of the OM. Given the context of financial fair play, the COVID context, and the geopolitical context, the operation seems very complicated. Economically, if the PSG has just come out of the clutches of financial fair play, it may not be to get back to it right away.”
With Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappé needing new deals, it will take a Houdini like performance to pay these three players, says Chaudel without violating Financial Fair Play. If PSG is serious about Messi, then they’ll have to clear up some dead weight in their wage budget.
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