Lionel Messi settles in Paris, set to rent £17k home

Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi is slowly settling into his new life in the French capital, months after making the shock move from Barcelona. The Argentine is reportedly ready to start renting a new home in Paris, where he and his family can feel comfortable during his stint with the Ligue 1 giants.

Messi has not had a fairytale start to his PSG campaign. He and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo were not keen on uprooting their children from the life they had built in Barcelona. However, the circumstances did not allow Messi to continue playing for his boyhood club. The sudden move to Paris was necessary after the Argentina captain signed for Paris Saint-Germain late in the summer transfer window.

As such, he had to dive straight into training and Antonela did not have enough time to prepare for the move. While Messi has yet to find the back of the net for his new club, the family is at least making progress on the home front.

According to Marca, the new Messi family home will be rented for 20,000 euros (£17k). While the footballer can well afford to purchase a home, they are opting to rent instead. It is believed that Messi kept the family's Barcelona residences (at least two have been disclosed), with the city continuing to be seen as their permanent home base.

The home in Paris is located at the very exclusive neighbourhood of Neuilly-Sur-Seine. It does not come as a surprise that Messi chose the location, with teammates Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes also living in the same area.

The Messi family also owns homes back in his native Argentina and in the United States. His purchase of an entire floor in a condominium complex in Miami, Florida earlier this year led to speculations that he is looking at ending his career in the MLS. However, he signed for PSG instead, but a move to the MLS in the future is likely still in the cards.

The Argentine forward has had a disappointing start with PSG, appearing on a limited capacity before being hit with a knee injury last week. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has called for patience, and Messi more than anyone will be eager to get back in top shape so he can show his new Parisian fans the same magic that he displayed at the Camp Nou.