Messi Signs with PSG Gets New Number

Almost as quickly as he disappeared from Barcelona, Lionel Messi resurfaced in Paris on Tuesday, set to sign a contract with Ligue 1 side Paris Saint Germain.

The Argentine striker, 34, will join PSG on a two-year deal (with an option for a third) worth $41 million annually.

“I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Paris Saint-Germain. Everything about the club matches my football ambitions. I know how talented the squad and the coaching staff are here. I am determined to help build something special for the club and the fans, and I am looking forward to stepping out onto the pitch at the Parc des Princes,” Messi said in a statement.

While he wore No. 10 with Barcelona, Messi will wear No. 30 with PSG after receiving permission from the league, as that number is normally reserved for goalkeepers. Neymar, who currently dons No. 10 for The Parisians, offered to give up the number, but Messi refused.

While he arrived to the French capital on Tuesday and completed his medical exam, Messi won’t be formally introduced as a member of the club until Wednesday. PSG will hold a news conference at 5 a.m. ET.

“I am delighted that Lionel Messi has chosen to join Paris Saint-Germain and we are proud to welcome him and his family to Paris,” PSG chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “He has made no secret of his desire to continue competing at the very highest level and winning trophies, and naturally our ambition as a club is to do the same. The addition of Leo to our world-class squad continues a very strategic and successful transfer window for the club. Led by our outstanding coach and his staff, I look forward to the team making history together for our fans all around the world.”=

Messi’s signing is the latest indication that the French club will do whatever it takes to capture the elusive Champions League title.

PSG has had an extraordinarily active transfer window. In addition to bringing Messi into the fold, the club has also inked deals with Giorginio Wijnaldum, Achraf Hakimi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Sergio Ramos.

“We will never stop being ambitious,” Al-Khelaifi said.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner left Barcelona after 21 years, after initially re-upping with the Spanish club for five years, $420 million.

Financial constraints set forth by La Liga’s salary rules, however, opened the door for his exit.

“My family and I were convinced we were going to stay here, at home,” Messi said during his farewell press conference. “This is the end with this club, and now a new story will begin…Yes, it’s one of the most difficult moments for me. I don’t want to leave this club — it’s a club I love, and this is a moment I didn’t expect.”