10 August,2021 07:03 AM IST | Paris | AFP
Fans eagerly await the arrival of Lionel Messi outside the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris. Pic/AFP
Lionel Messi is expected to arrive in the French capital on Monday, lured by the limitless funds of Paris Saint-Germain, having said a tearful farewell to Barcelona after 21 years.
Messi, 34, seen by the French giants' Qatari owners as the vital missing piece of their frustrating Champions League puzzle, has already had fans playing a guessing game. On Sunday night, dozens of PSG diehards gathered at the gates of Le Bourget airport to the north of the capital in the hope of catching a glimpse of their newest âgalactico.'
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Their wait was in vain although French media maintained that it was a question of âwhen' and not âif' Messi arrives. "The news is expected Monday, even Tuesday. This is the most likely scenario," said Le Parisien on Monday morning. "It only seems to be a matter of hours," suggested sports daily L'Equipe, which proclaimed "we are entering the most incredible days in the history of the French championship."
Before signing the contract in Paris, Messi will first have to undergo a medical examination. Stressing no deals had been done, Messi conceded at his tearful farewell news conference in Barcelona on Sunday that joining PSG was a "possibility."
In reality, they are the only club who can afford what is expected to be a deal worth 35 million euros (USD 41m) a year for the Argentine. On Monday morning, the images of the Argentinian in tears leapt out from the pages of all the Spanish sports dailies such as Marca, AS and Sport. A group of Barcelona fans, represented by Parisian lawyer Juan Branco, intend to lodge a complaint with the European Commission in connection with the rules of financial fair play that Barcelona and PSG must follow.
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