With the Summer Transfer window coming to a close, many journalists are asking themselves the same question: Is this the biggest transfer window ever?
With names like Ramos, Donnarumma, Sancho, Varane, Graelish and Alaba, this transfer window was already one to remember. The cherry on top of it all are the two biggest names in Football for the last 10 years: Messi & Ronaldo.
Lionel Messi Transfers to PSG
With his lengthy and extravagant contract at Barcelona nearing its end, fans around the globe watched Messi in awe throughout the 2020-21 season as he played what many considered to be his last season with the Blaugrana. Reports throughout the media world stated that the club and Messi had found an agreement and that the contract terms extending his stay at FC Barcelona would be ready.
On July 1st 2021, Messi’s contract officially expired and he became a free agent on the market. It was not until August 5th that Barcelona broke the news in an official club statement that Lionel Messi would in fact not continue with the Catalan club. Blaming the financial rules within La Liga, Messi would be financially impossible to sustain even after agreeing to a considerable salary cut. His departure from the club was capped off with an emotional speech by the argentinian star, who leaves Barcelona after 18 years of service.
A few days after this statement, rival European giant Paris Saint-Germain announced the free transfer of Messi, adding him to an already star-studded lineup of elite players.
Messi will be wearing the number 30, a nod to the first number he wore at Barcelona. Shop his new PSG jersey and adidas X SpeedFlows at Premium Soccer.
Cristiano Ronaldo Transfers to Manchester United
After 3 seasons in Turin, Cristiano Ronaldo started the 2021-22 Serie A season on Juventus’ bench, only to be called upon in the dying minutes of the game. Remarkably, he scored a last minute winner only to be disallowed by Video Assisted Review.
It was only an hour before kickoff when news surfaced that CR7 himself requested to not start the game versus Udinese in order to facilitate a move away from the club.
With time remaining on his contract, a notable transfer amount was necessary to free him from Juventus FC or he would leave as a free agent in Summer 2022. Rumors' surrounding his move circulated throughout the media channels this summer but with the large yearly salary he demands and the factor of his age, only a handful of clubs could afford the Portuguese star.
Links with PSG and a Messi-Ronaldo collaboration flooded media networks, alongside it were links to Manchester City where their Coach Pep Guardiola might finally get the chance to coach the 2020-21 Serie A striker of the season. In the end, it was back home to where his stardom began, at Manchester United. The English club announced the news on August 27th and a farewell message by CR7 soon followed.
He is rumored to return to his iconic number 7 with the Red Devils. You can shop his new Manchester United Jersey and Nike Mercurial Superfly 8 Elites at Premium Soccer.
