Messi waits for Laporta to contact
Messi's contract with PSG will expire at the end of June 2023, and he has the option to extend for a year or not. The Argentina star has not yet accepted PSG's offer to extend his contract, as he wants to secure a number of sporting requirements.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Messi is also hesitant about renewing with PSG because of the offer to return to Barca. The owner of the Camp Nou publicly admitted his desire to bring the Argentine star back. Vice President Rafael Yuste emphasized that the club is very interested in re-signing Messi.
Mundo Deportivo's source revealed that Laporta has also been in contact with Jorge - Messi's father and agent. But the 35-year-old star still wants to hear directly from the head of Barca.
The Spanish daily said that the relationship between Messi and Laporta has been "cold". When running for the presidency of Barca in early 2021, Laporta once considered keeping Messi the number one priority. But after being elected, he himself announced that he could not extend the contract with the Argentine superstar in the summer of 2021, leading to him having to wipe his tears to PSG on a free basis. The two have had little direct contact since. Messi even asked Laporta to stop mentioning names in interviews, and they did not talk when they met at the FIFA The Best awards gala in February.
But Laporta said the two "exchanged glances" and hailed Messi as Barca's legacy. He said: "Messi knows he is always in our hearts. I have to find a way to improve Messi's current relationship with Barca. Messi also knows that the door to Barca is always open."
However, the biggest barrier of the deal is Barca's financial situation. According to Diario Sport, Barca is working with key sponsors to sign Messi without breaking the Financial Fair Play (FFP).
In addition, the Catalan club wants players to reduce their income by 15% from next season - a move that will save them about $ 75 million, according to Relevo. At the end of 2022, Sporting Director Mateu Alemany revealed Barca saved about $ 100 million in salary when parting with Antoine Griezmann and Gerard Pique.
In early March, La Liga President Javier Tebas said Barca would be banned from the 2023 summer transfer market due to failing to meet financial requirements, and must raise more than $ 200 million to comply with the rules of the tournament. . For the same reason, La Liga did not accept Gavi's new contract with Barca, and the Spaniard had to return to the club's youth team.
Besides PSG and Barca, Messi also has an option to go to the Middle East to play football, according to a salary offer of $ 440 million per year from Al Hilal club in Saudi Arabia. If accepted, Messi will become the highest paid player in the world, double the commitment Ronaldo received from the current Al Nassr. However, according to news expert Fabrizio Romano, the Argentine star wants to continue playing in Europe.
