They have made a massive investment: See how PSG will make millions from Messi signing
Lionel Messi's move to PSG would cost the club over €100m in just 2 years. These are the ways through which the French club can make money back from his signing.
Paris Saint-Germain has completed the signing of Lionel Messi from FC Barcelona this week. The 6-time Ballon d'Or winner completed his move on Tuesday and was unveiled at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday. This completes a shocking turn of events for the legendary player who had spent all 18 years of his senior football career with Spanish giants, Barcelona.
In signing the Argentine captain, PSG parted with €25m in signing-on fee as a free agent and offered Messi a 2-year deal worth €35m per year. For a 34-year-old, this is a lot of money. However, there are a good number of football and business reasons that make the investment a sensible one. The Qatari-owned club is astute in business and management so it is expected that these are the ways they will make their money back.
The first is by winning the UEFA Champions League. This is a perfect way because it represents success both on-field and off-field. The ultimate sporting reason PSG signed Messi is to win Europe's elite competition and success in doing this would also make a lot of money for the Parisian club. Massive prize money, more competitions (Super Cup and Club World Cup), increased merchandise sales, and attracting more sponsors are all ways that winning the UEFA Champions League would help PSG recoup the money they spent on signing Messi.
Another means of recouping money spent on signing Messi is through sales of merchandise. It is rumoured that Messi's jersey No 30 at PSG got sold out within hours after his unveiling on Wednesday. With hordes of fans across the world and an army of Messi faithfuls, PSG is bound to gain more fans from across the world. This would translate to more following and breaking into international markets where they can boost their finances.
Paris Saint-German will expect to make some more money from season tickets and fans coming to watch matches. Undoubtedly, the Parc des Princes will be filled to the brim as everyone would want to catch a glimpse of Messi playing. The club might consider increasing the capacity of the stadium to maximise the influx of fans even on Friday Ligue 1 nights.
