Ex-Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has made a shock admission regarding Lionel Messi and his move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In the gallery above are the players Ramos revealed he talked to before signing for PSG!
The transfer window at the start of the 2021/22 campaign arguably belonged to the French giants, who welcomed Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum and Messi to Ligue 1 as free-agent signings.
Morocco international Achraf Hakimi, meanwhile, joined the club in a deal worth €60 million (R1 billion) from last season's Serie A champions Inter Milan, significantly strengthening the options available to Mauricio Pochettino.
In terms of those who arrived for free, Ramos was the first to commit himself to PSG's project, with his move coming more than a month before Messi had signed a two-year contract in August, although the two players were unveiled at the same time.
Ramos has now admitted to having a conversation with his former Barcelona rival before putting pen to paper in Paris, suggesting that his Argentine colleague might have had his sights on PSG a while before finding out he could not stay at the Blaugrana.
Here is where Ramos and Messi rank among PSG's 10 highest-paid players this season:
"(The process of signing for PSG) was fine," he told PSG's official club media.
"Before signing my contract I had already talked to the other players, including Leo (Messi), Keylor (Navas), who's like a brother.
"We had already talked about it before. Also with Neymar (Junior) and other teammates. The reception has been extraordinary, making my adaption much easier."
The 35-year-old also said he believes PSG are the team to beat this season.
"With the project it has and the players it's signed. But now we have to prove it," he continued.
"That means earning our crest, proving that we're a good team with good players. And that has to be done on the pitch.
Ramos Nets First Goal On Messi's Return For PSG
"We're working well at the moment and we're going to try to win all the titles. PSG are a great team, even though it doesn't have many years of history. It's a unique sporting project and all players want to come here."
