Paris Saint-Germain are not in violation of UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules by signing Lionel Messi, president Nasser Al-Khelaifi insists.
The arrival of the Argentina star comes after the club signed Achraf Hakimi from Inter for €60 million (£52m/$71m) as well as Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnarumma this summer.
Meanwhile, big-earners Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are still on the books, raising questions about how PSG can add Messi to the wage bill without breaking the rules
What has been said?
But Al-Khelaifi says the French giants can justify the addition of the 34-year-old, telling reporters: "Regarding the financial aspect, I will make it clear: we know the rules of Financial Fair Play and we will always follow the regulations.
"Before we do anything, we check with our commercial, financial and legal people.
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"We have the capacity to sign him. If we sign Leo, it's because we can, otherwise we would not have done it.
"What Leo brings to the club is huge, which you can see just outside. He is a big asset for the club.
"I hope Leo will not ask for a raise, but what we have is fantastic!"
How much are PSG paying Messi?
Although the Ligue 1 side did not have to pay a transfer fee to land the six-time Ballon d'Or winner, Messi's arrival will cost the club a lot of money.
Messi signed a two-year deal with an option for a third, which is said to be worth around €35m (£30m/$41m) per season.
Will Messi boost Ligue 1?
Al-Khelaifi says the other presidents in the French top-flight are grateful to the club for bringing Messi to the country as they expect the rest of the league to benefit from his presence.
“In terms of the impact on Ligue 1, I think the championship is going up a level. In TV rights, too, I hope, or in commercial partnerships," he added.
"Everyone now wants to see Messi's PSG, which increases the value of other clubs.
"The other presidents thanked me for the arrival of Leo. We are not only doing this for the club, but also for France and Ligue 1."