Lionel Messi has joined a Paris Saint-Germain side predicted to present losses of 250 million euros for last season, which can be added to the 125 million euros lost the season before and a league which is "practically borken," according to the people in charge of it.
In fact, in the last two years, Ligue 1 clubs have presented operating losses of 2.6 billion euros, per the president of the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG), Jean-Marc Mickeler, who supervises the team's finances. In addition, he warned that "the worst is still to come" and would not rule out bankruptcies.
Leonardo, the sporting director of PSG, told the DNCG in June that the objective for PSG was to bring in 180 million euros in transfer fees. That could not be further from reality. The club have only brought in 9 million in sales this summer. In July, they weighed up the possibility of selling Kylian Mbappe to solve their financial problems, but they only let go of Bakker and Areola for 7 million euros and 2 million euros respectively.
On top of that, with the signing of Nuno Mendes, PSG have 34 first team players, if you include the five goalkeepers Pochettino has in his squad. Rafinha, Kurzawa, Icardi, Kehrer and Diallo were all candidates to leave in June but all ended up staying in Paris.
PSG have closed the transfer window with a spectacular squad. It all shows that they are not worried about compensating for losses. But it remains to be seen if they are Fair Play complicit. If they're not, they could be punished by UEFA, although we will see what happens.
La Liga president Javier Tebas is certainly not impressed.
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"Club-states are as dangerous to the football ecosystem as the Super League," he tweeted on Tuesday. "We were critical of the Super League because it destroys European football and we are just as critical of PSG. Covid losses of more than 300 million euros; TV revenue in France down 40%; and more than 500 million in salaries? Untenable."