Messi signs two-year deal with PSG after leaving Barcelona

Lionel Messi will be presented as a Paris Saint-Germain player on Wednesday after signing a two-year contract on Tuesday. As per a report by The Guardian, the deal includes an option to extend by a year and gives the forward a net salary of about €35m (£29.6m) with bonuses factored in.

Messi arrived at Le Bourget airport to the north of the French capital on Tuesday around 3:30 pm (13:30 GMT) and was greeted by hundreds of PSG supporters who had gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of their new signing.

The French club posted a Twitter video teasing his arrival, accompanied by the words "New diamond in Paris", with a press conference scheduled for Wednesday morning.

There were reports late on Monday night that Barcelona had made a last-ditch attempt to get Messi to renew, but that has been denied by several high-profile journalists. Instead, the 34-year-old will put pen to paper on a two-year contract with the option of a third at PSG.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner and record goalscorer for both Argentina and Barcelona, wept on Sunday as he bade farewell to Barcelona.

The departure came after the club said it could no longer afford to honour a contract reached with Messi, blaming La Liga's fair play rules.

A statement on the Catalan giants' official website said: "Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations).

"As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona."

"Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled.

"FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life."