Messi’s move to PSG means that Man Utd are set to miss out on millions of pounds
Manchester United are set to miss out on millions of pounds in transfer revenue – all because of Lionel Messi's move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi, 34, was officially unveiled as a PSG player on Wednesday morning as he completed his switch from Barcelona following the expiry of his contract.
The Argentine signed a two-year deal with the French giants and will be paid a whopping €25 million per year; with the option of a third year at the same rate.
Even for a club of PSG's stature and wealth, such a huge financial outlay is by no means insignificant and casts serious doubt on their ability to sign more stars this summer.
That is bad news for United, who might have been expecting midfielder Paul Pogba to swap Manchester for Paris with 12 months remaining on his Old Trafford contract.
Indeed, the Frenchman's agent, Mino Raiola, held talks with the Ligue 1 giants who were even weighing up a £40million bid this month.
However, the unexpected opportunity to sign Messi means even PSG's mega-rich owners would struggle to complete both deals, leaving a move for Pogba in tatters.
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The 28-year-old has rejected a new deal with the Red Devils and now looks set to leave the club for free next summer when his contract runs out – five years after he joined United for £89million.
United could sell Pogba in the remaining three weeks of the transfer window, but it is unclear who, other than PSG, would be prepared to meet his asking price.
It now appears more likely that he will leave the Red Devils at the end of the season or sign a pre-contract agreement with a club outside the Premier League in January for a free transfer next summer.
According to the Daily Mail, Pogba is comfortable with another 12 months at Old Trafford, and boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still sees him as a key player as United bid to overhaul Manchester City at the top of the table.
Mauricio Pochettino's side would reportedly need to get rid of around 10 players to finance a deal for Pogba and are monitoring his situation closely with a view to a move next year.
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