Lionel Messi has agreed a two-year deal with French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after the Spanish La Liga broke his heart by failing to register his five-year contract with boyhood club FC Barcelona. The transfer saga involving arguably the game’s greatest player was short lived to be fair with French giants PSG swopping-in quickly to get their man. After all the emotions at his exit and the subsequent press conference in Barcelona, it is a new dawn in Lionel Messi’s career and possibly the French league. The TV ratings are sure to pick up now after they hit a bit of rock bottom. The arrival of the former Barcelona captain also makes the Parisians one of the most staggering teams at least on paper. They have an amazing squad depth with world class players in every position.
Here we take a look at the possible PSG starting line-up, which could be one of the costliest in terms of the salaries and brand value of the players involved. Lionel Messi All Set to Join PSG, Here are Argentine’s New Teammates Including Neymar at the French Club.
Kylian Mbappe, Striker: The French forward is coming to the end of his contract with PSG but the arrival of Lionel Messi can turn things around. He has strong interest from Real Madrid at the moment but the opportunity to play first team football with Lionel Messi is something that could change his minds.
Kylian Mbappe (Photo Credits: Getty Images)
Neymar, Left Winger: The Brazilian international has played an important role in getting Lionel Messi to Paris. During their time at Barcelona, the duo had a telepathic understanding and that could once again be replicated.
Neymar (Photo Credits: Getty Images)
Lionel Messi, Attacking Midfield: Lionel Messi should slot in behind Kylian Mbappe as the chief playmaker. He will orchestrate play from the deep and try and utilise the pace of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. He could also swap positions with either Neymar or Angel Di Maria to try and open up opposition defences. Lionel Messi Images Removed from Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium As he Joins PSG.
Angel Di Maria: Another player who is certain to benefit from the arrival of Lionel Messi is Angel Di Maria. The scorer of the winning goal in the Copa America 2021 final that ended Argentina’s quest for silverware, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United man is blessed with tremendous pace and game awareness and is an asset in attack.
Angel Di Maria (Photo Credits: @Argentina)
Georginio Wijnaldum: A free agent from Liverpool, Gini Wijnaldum adds energy and creativity in this Paris side. He is one player that can ride the challenges in tight spaces and pass efficiently to the attackers.
Marco Verratti: The Italian midfielder showcased why he is one of the best holding midfielders in the world with his performance at the Euros. There is no point pressing Marco Verratti as he find a way past it and makes the team tick with his crisp passing.
Sergio Ramos: One could never have imagined Lionel Messi playing in the same team as his arch rival Lionel Messi. Both legends of the game and fierce competitors for more than a decade but now Sergio Ramos will try and get on the end of some Messi free-kicks.
Sergio Ramos (Photo Credits: Twitter/Sergio Ramos)
Marquinhos: The Brazilian centre-back is calm and composed in defence, an ideal partner for the aggressive Sergio Ramos. His reading of the game is second to none at the moment and is also dominates the air with ease.
Achraf Hakimi: Talking about pace in this PSG team would be incomplete without the mention of Achraf Hakimi. He developed his game tremendously under Antonio Conte and will relish some brilliant through balls on the flanks from Neymar or Lionel Messi.
Presnel Kimpembe: The French defender has the potential to be one of the best in his position but is prone to those odd moments of total lapse of concentration. With Sergio Ramos besides him, he will now have more assurance and that should aid his game.
Gianluigi Donnarumma: Tipped to be a Milan great, Gianluigi Donnarumma ran his contract down in Italy and joined Paris just a few days after his heroics against England in the Euro 2021 final. If there is one player that can match or possibly go past the legacy of Gianluigi Buffon, it is this youngster and PSG certainly have a brilliant custodian for years to come.
This starting eleven reminds of the days of ZIndeine Zidane, David Beckham and Ronaldo at Real Madrid during the Galacticos era. The PSG owners will hope Mauricio Pochettino can get the European trophy that has eluded them for long.
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Aug 10, 2021 05:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).
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