When it was announced that Lionel Messi would not return to FC Barcelona due to financial complications within the club, many speculated that Paris Saint-Germain would be his next destination in Europe.
For Messi, there were several reasons on why he elected to join PSG over the recent summer transfer window, including with the presence of former Barca teammate Neymar and current Argentina national team counterparts Angel Di Maria and Paredes at the club.
In speaking to France Football (via Le10Sport), the new PSG star opened up on the role that they had in his decision to sign with PSG in the end.
“Yes, it was an important element when I had to make my decision, because I knew I was going to arrive in a new country and have to start from scratch,” Messi said. “Knowing that I had friends in the locker room made me feel like it was going to be easy to adjust.
“And I was not wrong, because it was very easy to integrate, especially because there are many players who speak Spanish, like me, and some friends like Ney, ‘Lea’ (Paredes), ‘Fideo’ (Di Maria), who helped me when I arrived.”
Messi formed standout chemistry with Neymar during their run together at Barca. On the other hand, Messi has had a multitude of notable performances with Di Maria and Paredes at the international level.
Messi sure will look to replicate the success that he has had with each of them over into his current run with the French powerhouse.
