Why PSG trying to keep Lionel Messi at all cost is wrong

The situation with Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is a complex one that requires an understanding of the PSG project.

When PSG was taken over by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011, club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s commercial goal was to turn the club into a household name across the globe. PSG still went out and picked up superstars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham to boost their prospects of success on and off the field.

The club also looked to the NBA for inspiration when it came to catering for and communicating with fans at the stadium.

PSG also views itself as “the club of the new generation” because of the way in which it has tapped into the tastes of younger people. Al-Khelaifi is obsessed with the smallest details and constantly pushes PSG to replicate the field-leading work being done elsewhere.

PSG feels it is connecting and engaging with younger football fans in different ways to other clubs. They target specific markets in specific ways. However, the importance of superstar signings simply cannot be overstated, as they give credibility to the club.

PSG has a budget that dwarfs all of its rivals in France, and they needed European success to give credibility to the club. They signed Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for record-breaking fees, believing that the pair would elevate the club to a whole other sporting and commercial plane.

However, after a dire 2020-21 season, which exposed obvious flaws in their policy of investing too heavily in a select few superstars, PSG doubled down by signing the best player in the world, Messi, on a colossal contract.