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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are preparing to face Montpellier in La Mosson on Saturday in Ligue 1. The Parisians have already won the league title this season.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has been named the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes. Elsewhere, Kylian Mbappe looks set to join Real Madrid. On that note, here's a look at the key PSG transfer stories as on 12 May 2022:
Lionel Messi named world's highest-paid athlete
Lionel Messi has been named the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes. The Argentinean has endured a difficult time since leaving Barcelona to join PSG last summer.
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The 34-year-old has not been in his elements at the Parc des Princes and has endured an underwhelming season so far, scoring just nine times across competitions. However, his pedigree in world football remains intact, especially on the financial side of things.
Messi earned $130 million pre-tax gross in the past 12 months, propelling him to the top of Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest-paid athletes. The Argentinean has achieved the feat for the second time since 2019. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner did so after taking a pay cut to join the Parisians last summer.
LMessi is currently on a salary of $75 million at the French giants, $22 million less than what he drew at Barcelona. However, the Argentinean’s commercial reach has flourished despite his recent struggles. His endorsements have helped him touch the record annual earnings for a football player he set last year, when he finished second to Conor McGregor.
NBA superstar LeBron James is second in the list, with annual earnings of $121.2 million, while Cristiano Ronaldo is third with $115 million.
Messi has maintained a healthy lead over his bitter rival, thanks to his partnership with Socios that brings him $20 million per year. He represents brands like Adidas, Budweiser and Pepsico too and also became the first athlete brand ambassador for Hard Rock International last June.
The Argentinian's off-field earnings are level with Ronaldo for the first time since 2013. The two football superstars have made it to Forbes’ annual list five times so far.
Kylian Mbappe close to joining Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe looks set to join Real Madrid this summer, according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins. The French attacker is in the final two months of his current contract with PSG, who are desperate to keep him at the club. However, it now appears that their efforts could prove futile.
The 23-year-old has his heart set on a move to Real Madrid, who are also eager to welcome him to La Liga. Hawkins believes there are clear indications that Mbappe will not extend his stay at the Parc des Princes as Los Blancos look set to finally get their man this summer.
Antonio Conte not in talks to take charge at PSG
Antonio Conte is not negotiating to take charge of PSG next season, according to acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Italian manager is currently in charge of Tottenham Hotspur but is among the candidates to replace Mauricio Pochettino at the Parc des Princes. However, in his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that Conte wants to stay with Spurs. He wrote:
"There is an important detail to clarify: the rumours about Antonio Conte and Paris Saint-Germain do not come from Antonio’s camp. Certainly Leonardo knows him very well, but there is no negotiation underway now between Conte and Paris, still too early. His priority is to get Champions League football with Tottenham and then reunite with Daniel Levy to decide his future."
Romano continued:
"Conte wants at least three or four high-level signings in the summer and then definitive clarity on the Spurs project, including keeping Harry Kane at the club. This is his priority to remain Tottenham manager, but the decision will be made in a meeting at the end of the current season."
