Lionel Messi agrees to join Paris Saint-Germain on two-year contract after leaving Barcelona

Lionel Messi to sign two-year deal worth £25m per year after tax with PSG; 34-year-old will have the option to extend the deal by a third year and will receive a £25m signing-on fee; Messi was set to sign a new five-year contract at Barcelona but the club were unable to complete the deal

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner had two other options after leaving Barcelona last week, but has chosen to move to the French club on a deal worth £25m per year after tax, plus bonuses.

PSG and Messi will have the option of extending his stay in the French capital by a third year, while the forward will also receive a £25m signing-on fee.

Messi was set to extend his 21-year stay at Barcelona by signing a new five-year deal this summer.

However, the club announced on Thursday that “financial and structural obstacles” meant the deal could not be completed, meaning Messi left as a free agent.

The 34-year-old said he wanted to stay at Barcelona and “did everything” he could to remain at the club, including agreeing to a 50-per-cent wage cut.