PSG's two obstacles to signing Leo Messi

The dream team that PSG would form if they manage to sign Leo Messi has two main obstacles in its path. The high salary of the Argentine - estimateed to be around 80 million euros a year - and the priority of president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to renew Kylian Mbappe. 

Both 'L'Equipe' and 'Le Parisien', two newspapers with good sources at the core of the Parisian club, agree on the complexity to carry out the deal. If it goes ahead, Messi will join the likes of Neymar, Mbappe, Sergio Ramos and Donnarumma in one single team. The stuff of dreams.

Barcelona's announcement that their star would not stay on after nearly two decades at the club caught the attention of both PSG and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, basically the only two clubs in Europe that would be capable of matching the Argentine's exorbitant demands. Both clubs are controlled by sovereign wealth funds showered with the profits of the Persian Gulf.

Despite the economic power of PSG - who already hold the world record transfer fee for the 222-million-euro signing of Neymar in 2017 - the club are subject to the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG), an auditory organisation responsible for the financial health of different sporting entities in France.

Paris Saint-Germain, who were picked up a decade ago by an investment from Qatar, predicted losses of between 250 and 300 million for the 2021/22 season. To keep them at a minimum, they have committed to selling players to an equivalent around 180 million euros.

At the moment, that objective is very far away, as they have only brought in seven million from the sale of Mitchel Bakker to Bayern Leverkusen. In addition, PSG have spent around 60 million euros for Moroccan wing-back Hakimi, which will complicate the financial balance even further.

The estimated annual cost to pay Messi's salary is 80 million euros, according to 'L'Equipe'. For Pierre Maes, international consultant and specialist in television sporting rights, the deal for Messi is viable from an economic point of view, given the power of PSG.

"The funds are almost unlimited, so in this sense there wouldn't be any problems" in carrying out a signing like this, he highlighted in declarations to EFE. However, the author of the book 'Le business des droits TV du foot' pointed towards the main obstacle being the "regulation" of the DNCG.

Another significant aspect is the renewal of Mbappe. The Frenchman, still just 22-years-old, is a priority for Al-Kheliaifi, even ahead of 34-year-old Leo Messi. The young forward's contract terminates in June 2022 and, if he doesn't renew it, he could reach an agreement independently with any other club from January 2022, where he would join on a free transfer.

According to 'Marca', PSG would consider putting their young starlet on the market for an elevated price, which would provoke a domino effect. Mbappe, in his case, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. At the moment, though, PSG are looking into all of their options, including having all of Messi, Mbappe and Neymar together in the same team.