Paris Saint-Germain is fast becoming a massive thorn in the sides of both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona as the French club recently announced the signing of former Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos, and speculations suggest that they are earnestly planning to hijack Lionel Messi’s contract extension with the Catalan giants, hence making it a brilliant coup d’etat for the Parisiene outfit.
Ramos was left with no options but to bid adieu to Real Madrid after a 16-year spell with the club, being unable to come to an agreement with them for a contract extension at the end of last season. The move to PSG is seen as a declamatory statement signing for the French team who are clearly determined to reinforce their flanks as much as they can.
PSG has been surreptitiously cannibalizing both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in recent years, and Lionel Messi is obviously their next target, having publicly announced their interest in the Barcelona talisman as early as last season when the Messi burofax scandal made the news.
With the record-breaking signing of Neymar Jr. from Barcelona still fresh in the minds of many, the Parisiene club then proceeded to acquire the services of Real Madrid stars like Angel di Maria and Keylor Navas almost immediately after those players excelled in their UEFA Champions League performances for Los Blancos.
At the same time, PSG have been doing their best to prevent Real Madrid from signing Kylian Mbappe, even though the French forward has been increasingly vocal about his desire to one day move to either the Spanish capital or even to Liverpool, where Jurgen Klopp is a major fan.
Earlier this summer, Barcelona president Joan Laporta accused PSG of hijacking their attempt to sign Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool, which is a ridiculous accusation as all’s fair in love and war, especially in the battlefronts of football. The Dutchman had apparently been set to make the move to Camp Nou before PSG intercepted the deal with a much more lucrative offer.
PSG has also just acquired former Real Madrid player Achraf Hakimi from this season’s Serie A champions, InterMilan, after Los Blancos decided not to exercise their right to first refusal.
Messi is currently a free agent, and he is technically up for grabs. PSG may very well swoop in to snatch him from right under the nose of Joan Laporta, and an all out war between the two clubs may well ensue.
Nevertheless, for all their wealth and firepower, PSG failed to win Ligue 1 last season, and they were also unable to lift their ultimate target of a UEFA Champions League trophy. It remains to be seen what they can achieve in the coming season.