Lionel Messi pressinphoto

Lionel Messi to sign with Paris Saint-Germain next week?

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Aug 6, 2021 3:55 PM ET

The football world remains stunned by Thursday's news that free agent Lionel Messi will not return to Barcelona because the Spanish giants cannot register the 34-year-old ahead of the upcoming season due to La Liga's financial regulations combined with Barca's massive debts.

Messi was almost immediately linked with reigning Premier League champions Manchester City and Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in rumors following Thursday's announcement from Barcelona. With City allegedly out of the running for Messi heading into the weekend, ESPN personality and football insider Julien Laurens reports PSG are set to meet with Jorge Messi, Lionel's father and agent, next week to potentially put pen to paper on an agreement to land the man seen by many as the world's greatest player:

No complete agreement yet between PSG and Messi but negotiations are going well. Messi wants to join PSG so reasons to be optimistic for Paris. There will be a physical meeting next week, between Jorge Messi and PSG. Things can change quickly but it’s getting closer @ESPNFC
— Julien Laurens (@LaurensJulien) August 6, 2021

Earlier in the day, ESPN's Gabriele Marcotti explained UEFA financial fair play regulations are essentially on a break this transfer window because of monetary losses suffered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, Paris Saint-Germain could sign Messi on a free transfer and also lock fellow superstar Kylian Mbappe down on a long-term extension.

Mbappe is currently out of contract next summer.

Barcelona claimed Thursday they and Messi wanted to continue their working relationship but added "this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations)." As Marcotti noted, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has since reiterated that stance.

Meanwhile, City manager Pep Guardiola said Friday that Messi "is not in our thoughts," as his club is instead focused on acquiring Tottenham Hotspur striker and England captain Harry Kane.

Kane missed training and COVID-19 testing all week but announced his plan was always to return to Tottenham this coming weekend.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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