Paris Saint-Germain have posted record losses of £192.4million (€224.3m) for the 2020-21 campaign – prior to completing the high-profile summer transfer of Lionel Messi from Barcelona.
The club’s latest financial figures for the campaign played behind closed doors showed that they lost out on £31million from their normal ticket revenue while at the same time salary expenses rose by a whopping 21 percent to £431million.
Remarkably, the club’s wage bill for this season exceeded the combined total of 14 of their 19 rivals in Ligue 1.
Most notably, these figures preceded the summer transfer of 2021 in which they invested heavily in their first-team squad. Les Parisiens managed to sign both the Argentine superstar and Sergio Ramos last summer – the outgoing captains of Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively – alongside a host of other household names.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma - who was crowned Player of Euro 2020 – also arrived following his exit from Milan while Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum joined as a free agent after he left Liverpool.
They joined wing-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes in joining the ranks of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad. Mitchel Bakker was the only first-team squad player who exited permanently during the window.
This was due to the club’s failure to win the Ligue 1 title in the 2020/21 campaign, when they were pipped by Lille to the French title. PSG completed their Ligue 1 title success in April but fans are so disillusioned with their side at the moment that they did not want to celebrate the success with the players.
Reports from earlier this season claimed the PSG wage bill is reported to stand at an eye-watering £257million (€300m) for the squad with Messi topping the list as he earns a club record £35.1million (€41m) net per year. His close friend and former Barca teammate Neymar previously held the French football record with an annual wage coming in at £31.5million (€36.8m) with Mbappe completing the top three with a £21.4million (€25m) wage.
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In March, PSG fans booed Messi and Neymar during the club's first Ligue 1 match following their elimination from the Champions League by Real Madrid at the last-16 stage. The two South American superstars were jeered with every touch of the ball they had against Bordeaux. Those boos came just a day after PSG ultras called on president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to resign following their club's latest European humbling.
Messi has endured a strange season even though he landed a record-breaking seventh Ballon d'Or title in November before ranking second behind Robert Lewandowski in the 2021 FIFA Best Men's Player awards this year. Recent reports have indicated that he is unhappy in Paris as he has failed to settle in the city and at the club for multiple reasons.
The figures may also cast doubt on how Les Parisiens are attempting to keep their superstar striker Kylian Mbappe, who is out of contract this summer. Reports in France claim that PSG are offering a contract that would see Mbappe earn £42.5million (€50m) a year, as well as a mouthwatering £85m (€100m) signing-on bonus.
PSG star striker Mbappe has reportedly reached an agreement to join Real Madrid this summer – the Spanish giants have had a long-running interest in the Frenchman, with the French champions desperate to ensure he does not leave. Mbappe is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain this summer and he has recently hinted at a move to Real Madrid while a recent interview suggested that he is open to leaving France.
The trio of clubs Saint-Etienne, Stade Rennes and Dijon were the only teams from Ligue 1 not to be in the red from last season. Due to the Covid pandemic, multiple clubs posted big losses from the 2020/21 campaign.
Manchester United announced that they had recorded a net loss of £92.2million for the 2020/21 campaign - although £66.6m of this amount is thought to be due to a non-cash tax charge. This was a significant hit to the club’s finances, as they recorded an operating loss of £36.9m - reflecting the hit their income took due to the closure of Old Trafford.
That followed on from Italian giants Juventus - from whom United signed Cristiano Ronaldo - posted a notable loss of £179million from last season - a notable £86.8m more than the Red Devils.
The Bianconeri’s worrying figures meant that their losses were 134 percent higher than the previous campaign and they also saw their club debt increase by £3.4m from the previous year, now standing at a total of £332m.
As concerning as Juve’s figures were, they paled in comparison to those presented by Barcelona - whose economic situation has collapsed in recent years. Astonishingly, the Catalan giants posted losses of £413.2million for last season - £321m more than that recorded by United.
While Barca were an extreme example, clubs across Europe reported record losses which surpass that of United and other Premier League clubs - who are still largely protected by their financial advantage of the league’s TV deal.
Borussia Dortmund - whose income is heavily dependant on matchday revenue from their loyal fanbase - reported a £62.7million net loss from last season.
According to Italian media, Serie A champions Inter were running a net loss of £10million per month last season - meaning that their overall figures are likely to be similar to those at Juventus.
The one club who managed to post (an extremely modest) profit last season was Real Madrid, whose overall figures saw them gain £1million. This was largely due to a significant number of player exits at the club coupled with no signings for the 2020/21 campaign - as their Santiago Bernabeu home stadium underwent significant renovation works.
