The arrival of Leo Messi at PSG is still a fantasy at this stage.
Concretely, it is part of a complex equation.
It is not insoluble but requires for the PSG a balancing act close to the contortionist.
It features Messi of course but also Neymar himself and especially Kylian Mbappé.
In turn, it concerns the entire workforce and the room for maneuver for the club in the capital in the short term.
Messi at what cost?
The arrival of the best player in the world in activity seems more likely in 2021 than in 2020. The reason is simple: this time there would be no more transfer to pay for Paris.
On January 1, the Argentine star will be free to engage where she wishes and it would then "only" to pay him his salary.
This is where the business gets complicated.
Messi, 33, receives 60,395,769 euros gross per year according to Football Leaks documents.
French taxation, heavier than in Spain, would force the PSG to release a pharaonic annual sum to pay for the number 10 of Barça.
In addition to the current salaries of Neymar (36 million euros per year) and Mbappé (18 million euros per year), the operation seems impossible under the rules of financial fair play established by UEFA.
It is only possible in theory with the club's shareholder, Qatar, for whom these amounts do not pose a problem.
PSG remains a credible candidate for the arrival of the six-time Ballon d'Or France Football.
“When we talk about the financial situation today, it's complicated.
But when we heard:
Messi is going to leave
, it tickled us ", had recognized Leonardo, the sporting director, last September.
Extend Mbappé and Neymar first
The reality of PSG is currently based on a thorny double file.
He seeks to extend the two bridgeheads of his project, Neymar and Mbappé.
With the Brazilian, the beginner's negotiations are off to a good start: the player would like to stay in the French capital and his courtiers are few.
But prudence remains in order: there are still many obstacles, such as the duration of the new contract and especially the salary.
Crack will not extend at a lower price than it is now.
The discussion is more complicated with the French world champion, the club's priority.
First, because the attacker has not yet made a decision, neither one way nor the other.
He hesitates at a time when all the big clubs are suffering financially, which partly works in favor of Paris in the idea of keeping him.
He loves PSG, where he is entering his fourth season, and the money he will earn in Paris will be roughly the same as in Madrid or Liverpool.
The choice therefore focuses on the athlete and the future competitiveness of Parisian training.
But if the PSG prolongs and Neymar and Mbappé, what will be its possibilities to engage other players worthy of the stature of the PSG?
There are full-backs to recruit (Alessandro Florenzi or another; what about Juan Bernat?) And at least one defensive midfielder after unsatisfactory experiences (Gana Gueye or Ander Herrera).
In short, before talking about Messi, PSG must ask themselves if they have the means to keep their two current nuggets.
Internally, some doubt it, believing that it will be one or the other but not both.
If Mbappé leaves ...
Unless financial fair play disappears, there is only one way out for Messi to join Neymar at PSG, the one leading to Mbappé's departure.
The club would recover a nice jackpot, which it could ventilate by recruiting and ensuring the lifestyle of its two South American stars.
But losing Mbappé would be considered a failure by Qatar even if the consolation prize is huge with one of the greatest geniuses in the history of the round ball.
The game of musical chairs, which will begin when Barça's new president is known at the end of January 2021, will be piloted by the shareholder directly.
It is he who will decide, if Messi ever likes the idea of engaging with PSG.
What remains to be demonstrated.
