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PSG will be without Lionel Messi when they face Feignies Aulnoye on Sunday in the Coupe de France. Mauricio Pochettino has opted to rest the Argentinean ahead of the Parisians’ game against Lorient on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, PSG are preparing to offload as many as seven players to help fund Messi’s wages. Elsewhere, the Parisians have joined the race to sign a Barcelona star.
On that note, here's a look at the key PSG transfer stories as on 19th December 2021.
PSG planning mass exodus to fund Lionel Messi wages
PSG are planning to offload seven players this winter to fund Lionel Messi’s wages, according to The Mirror. The Parisians signed the Argentinean for free this summer. The 34-year-old moved to the Parc des Princes at the end of his long association with Barcelona.
The arrival of Messi made a huge impact on PSG’s wage will. In addition to the Argentinean, the Parisians also roped in Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum and Sergio Ramos for free. Their arrival caused a dent in their wage structure that the Ligue 1 giants want to address this winter.
Lionel Messi is the highest-paid player at PSG, pocketing around €41 million per year. The Parisians have a €300 million wage bill; they want to trim that by offloading around seven of their squad players.
The Ligue 1 giants currently have 35 players in their first-team roster. Sergio Rico, one of five goalkeepers in the PSG squad, is unlikely to get any first-team minutes, and could be offloaded. Rafinha has also struggled for game time, and his time with PSG is coming to an end.
Defenders Abdou Diallo, Colin Dagba and Layvin Kurzawa could also be sold, along with young midfielder Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe. PSG are also eager to offload Mauro Icardi, who has been one of the victims of the arrival of Lionel Messi.
Parisians join race to sign Gavi
PSG have entered the race to sign Gavi, according to The Hard Tackle via El Nacional.
The Barcelona starlet has turned heads after bursting into the scene this season. The 17-year-old has been touted as one of the stars of the future at the Camp Nou. The Parisians are intrigued by his qualities, and want to add him to their roster.
PSG want to inject a shot of youth into their midfield next year. The Parisians are willing to pay more than €50 million to prise Gavi away from Barcelona. However, the player wants to stay at the Camp Nou.
Real Madrid interested in Pablo Sarabia
Real Madrid are interested in Pablo Sarabia, according to The Hard Tackle via El Nacional. The PSG winger is currently on loan with Sporting. The former Los Blancos youth player has been quite impressive with the Portuguese side this season. His exploits have drawn attention from the La Liga giants.
Despite his good form, Sarabia is unlikely to break into a star-studded PSG lineup. PSG are willing to let him leave, while the player is also ready to return to his former club.
