Lost in the city of love? Messi still adapting to Parisian life

Lionel Messi is still adapting to life in Paris after his switch from Barcelona to the French capital.

Messi moved to Paris Saint-Germain in an astonishing free transfer after the Catalan giants' financial difficulties prevented him from signing a new, pre-agreed contract.

The 34-year-old has claimed several clubs were in contact, but his move to PSG was swiftly completed as he spearheaded a star-studded collection of arrivals at the Parc des Princes over the recent transfer window.

Achraf Hakimi, Georginio Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma also joined Messi in bolstering Mauricio Pochettino's squad, with Portugal full-back Nuno Mendes subsequently joining on loan late in August.

Messi has not exactly hit the ground running, however. He came agonisingly close to opening his PSG account in a Champions League match against Club Brugge when he struck the woodwork, before then hitting the crossbar with an outstanding free-kick against Lyon in Ligue 1 a few days later.

The Argentine forward was substituted off in that clash with Lyon, missing PSG's next two matches before returning to score a sublime goal against Manchester City in the Champions League, only to then play the full match in a 2-0 defeat at Rennes last Sunday.

Messi on pain of leaving Barcelona

While there is still no doubting Messi's stellar quality, he acknowledged he is feeling somewhat "lost" in Paris, as he continues to adapt to the city, culture and his new club.

"At the moment I have to admit that I am still a bit lost," Messi told France Football in an interview published on Saturday.

"It was very painful for me to leave Barcelona after all these years. I had made up my mind, and my family too, that I was going to end my career in Barcelona.

"I had the idea to sign my contract and resume training immediately. I thought that everything was settled and all that was missing was my signature.

"But, when I arrived in Barcelona, I was told that it was no longer possible, that I could not stay and that I had to find myself another club, because Barca did not have the means to extend [my deal]."

However, Messi has no regrets over joining PSG, as he linked up with former Barca team-mate Neymar and France star Kylian Mbappé in a fearsome attacking unit.

"[I am] very happy to be here today," said Messi, who has once again been nominated for the Ballon d'Or, an award he has won a record six times.

"We were very motivated, we really wanted to come. PSG have a fantastic team, with which we can aspire to win lots of titles, which is my goal for the years to come.

"We have great individualities, but we still have to get to know each other well to form a team. This will perhaps avoid falling into certain traps, such as the one set last weekend by Rennes."

While Messi continues to adapt to Parisian life, his sons are seemingly finding the transition to be a smooth one.

"They go to school and learn [French] there," Messi said. "They pick up the words and remember them immediately. They are better than me at that!"