Published 13:47 IST, August 27th 2020
Lionel Messi's £95m salary is more than Neymar & Mbappe COMBINED as rumours emerge
A report in L’Equipe suggests that Lionel Messi's transfer to PSG may be impossible as his £95m salary is more than that of Neymar and Mbappe combined.
After the news of Lionel Messi requesting a move away from Barcelona made the headlines, several clubs were said to be interested in the player’s signature. Reports covering Messi transfer updates suggested Manchester City, PSG and Inter Milan as some of the clubs that were looking to sign Lionel Messi. ESPN while covering PSG transfer news even suggested that the Parisians are closely monitoring the situation. However, French publication L’Equipe has now suggested that any transfer for Lionel Messi will be impossible.
PSG transfer news: Impossible to meet Messi’s salary demands
While it was earlier thought that PSG, backed by their Qatari owners, would be the frontrunners for Lionel Messi, L’Equipe has now indicated that this may not be the case. According to the report covering PSG transfer news, the Ligue 1 champions will not be in a position to meet Lionel Messi’s wage demands even if there is no transfer fee involved. Expounding upon Lionel Messi’s current earnings, the publication wrote that Lionel Messi earns around £1.2m per week, which amounts to £64m per year in basic wages. However, in addition to his weekly wage, the Argentinian also benefits from several other performance-related clauses. For example, appearing in 60% of Barcelona’s matches helps boost his earnings to £95m. Winning the treble and FIFA's Player of the Year will further fetch Messi £15m.
Messi earns more than Neymar and Mbappe combined
The astronomical figures Lionel Messi is entitled to during a year is what makes a potential transfer to PSG ‘impossible’ according to media reports. Currently, Brazilian forward Neymar is the highest earner at the club, but even his salary dwarfs in comparison to Messi's. The 28-year-old earns £620,000 per week in the French capital, which comes down to £32.2m annually. Next in line is young forward Kylian Mbappe, who pockets £280,000 per week or £14.5m a year. The combined salary of Neymar and Mbappe totals £47m which is less the Lionel Messi’s basic salary without taking the bonuses into account.
The fact that PSG can’t incorporate Lionel Messi financially leaves Manchester City as the clear frontrunners in any Messi transfer. The Guardian had earlier reported how Manchester City and PSG were the only two clubs who can afford the 33-year-old. However, with the latest PSG transfer news suggesting that Lionel Messi may be out of PSG’s reach, Pep Guardiola’s outfit are now in pole position to sign the Barcelona captain.
Image Courtesy: AP, Lionel Messi Twitter
Updated 13:47 IST, August 27th 2020