Supporters have been gathering at the Le Bourget airport in Paris over the last few days due to premature reports of the legendary forward’s arrival.
Barcelona sensationally announced the end of Messi’s 21-year association with the club in a brief statement on Thursday evening, placing blame on La Liga’s player registration rules.
The Catalan side were unable to register Messi due to being over the salary cap that all Spanish top-flight clubs must abide by.
Barca’s failure to tie down the 34-year-old to a renewed contract before July made him a free agent and fresh terms would have technically made him a new signing.
Lionel Messi held an emotional press conference and teased a possible PSG transfer (Image: GETTY)
An emotional press conference in which the six-times Ballon D’or winner bid farewell to Barca fans was followed by intense speculation over where he would end up.
Manchester City were suggested as a possible destination due to Messi’s excellent relationship with boss Pep Guardiola, who he played under at Barca.
But Guardiola ruled out a move for the Argentina captain, with City instead preferring a move for Harry Kane after signing Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for £100million.
PSG have since emerged as the frontrunners in the race to sign Messi and could add him to their huge revamp of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.
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Messi confirmed that they were an option but that he had received several offers once his exit was confirmed.
Fans were expecting a deal to be completed soon and crowded outside an airport in Paris to to welcome him.
But Argentinian journalist Veronica Brunati has claimed that Messi will not be travelling to France until Wednesday.
It matches an update later issued by journalist Fabrizio Romano, who reported that the Barca icon is with family in Argentina and will not travel to the French capital until a deal has been finalised.
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PSG fans have been waiting for Messi's arrival at Paris airports (Image: GETTY)
It conflicts reports that PSG had a glitzy announcement planned in which Messi would be filmed in front of the Eiffel Tower.
PSG boss Pochettino is midway through a major overhaul of his squad, with several big-name players completing an all-star line-up.
The Champions League has constantly evaded the club but they also missed out on Ligue 1 last term, being surprisingly pipped to the title by Lille.
Sergio Ramos was the first major signing of the summer, arriving after his contract at Real Madrid expired.