5 reasons why Lionel Messi has failed to hit the ground running at PSG so far

Lionel Messi's transfer to PSG sent shockwaves across the football world this summer. The Argentine was expected to continue at Camp Nou after reaching an agreement with Barcelona. But the Blaugrana couldn't tie him to a new contract amid their financial constraints, paving the way for the Parisians to snap him up.

Leo has already got his PSG career underway. The attacker has made eight appearances for the Parisians across all competitions so far this season. However, the journey has proven to be a tough one for the former Barcelona captain.

Lionel Messi needed four games before scoring his first goal for PSG during their Champions League clash against Manchester City in September. More worryingly, the Argentine has failed to record a goal or assist for the Parisians in Ligue 1, despite playing five games so far.

As the season progresses, Leo's poor form is becoming a major point of concern for his team and fans. That has inspired us to analyze his situation at the Parc des Princes and highlight five reasons he's failed to hit the ground running so far.

#5 Unceremonious exit

The Argentine deserved better

Those who have kept a close eye on Lionel Messi over the last couple of years will realize that he doesn't look very happy at PSG right now. That surely has something to do with the way his exit from Barcelona was handled.

The Argentine wanted to continue in the Catalan capital and even agreed to slash his salary by 50%. Barca president Joan Laporta promised to make his continuity a priority but failed to keep his promise. Leo recently revealed he was hurt by Laporta's comments suggesting he should've played for free, noting that no one approached him with such a request.

#4 Full career at Barcelona

Lionel Messi spent a whopping 21 years at Barcelona

Before leaving for PSG this summer, Lionel Messi had spent his entire professional football career at Barcelona. The playmaker switched to the Catalan capital as a 13-year-old kid, broke through the youth ranks at the club and established himself in the senior team.

Football is no rocket science. It will surely take time for the attacker to blend into a new system. It goes without saying there's a huge difference between the style of play adopted by Barcelona and that of PSG.

#3 A lot of football

So many matches played by the mercurial forward before his PSG switch

Lionel Messi had a very busy outing last season, carrying a mediocre Barcelona all on on his own. The Argentine barely had any time to rest, representing Blaugrana across the Champions League, La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

Leo made a whopping 47 appearances for the Catalan giants across all competitions during the campaign. But it didn't end there. The playmaker returned to the international scene this summer, where he led Argentina to claim the Copa America. It's worth noting that he featured in all of the Albiceleste's seven games in the tournament, recording four goals and five assists.

It was an insane number of games for the playmaker. Coupling that with the stress he had to go through when leaving Barcelona for PSG, it becomes easy to understand why Lionel Messi hasn't reached the top of his game.

#2 New league

Lionel Messi has noted there's a huge difference between La Liga and Ligue 1

Lionel Messi has had a difficult time adapting to football in the French league. Unlike La Liga, Ligue 1 is more physical and consuming, which has contributed to his recent physical deterioration at the Parc des Princes.

The Argentine recently compared his experience playing in the French top flight to the one he had back in La Liga and here's what he had to say:

"It [Ligue 1] is a more physical league, where the matches are split a lot, the back and forth game is played a lot, where there are strong and fast players. On a physical level, it changes a lot."

"In Spain, all the teams try to play a lot more, and it can steal your ball if you don’t press well. This is more hit-for-hit than waiting for you to hit the counter. The biggest difference is on a physical level."

#1 Lack of chemistry

PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino is still trying to figure out how to get the best out of Lionel Messi and co

It is quite a difficult task to fit Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the same attack. PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino is still trying to get the best out of his team - especially his star-studded forward line.

The Parisians now have several players who are just getting to know one another on the pitch. This is also just Pochettino's first year at the Parc des Princes and the tactician didn't have the opportunity to work with many of the players during pre-season.

It will certainly take some time before they become familiar with the coach's system and build a strong chemistry among one another on the field. Lionel Messi has shown significant improvements at PSG in recent weeks. By the time he fully adapts, there will be no stopping him.