'I would've sold Messi in the summer window': Barcelona's interim president

Barcelona's interim president Carlos Tusquets believes that the club should have taken advantage of Messi's situation and should have sold him in the transfer window back in summers.

During the summer transfer window, Lionel Messi was linked to English giants Manchester City after sending fax asking to leave the club after a disappointing loss to Bayern Munich. He later said the decision was due to being disillusioned with the direction the now-former board had taken the club.

Josep Maria Bartomeu, the club president at that time, went on to resign in October rather than face a vote of no confidence, with Tusquets taking temporary charge until January's elections.

"Economically speaking, I would've sold Messi in the summer window," Tusquets told RAC1 radio station.

"Both in terms of what you save on the wage bill as well as the money you make, it would've been desirable. But this is something the coaching staff have to consent to and that's not my place.

"La Liga are setting salary limits at the moment and this would've helped on that front."

Messi's contract is set to run out in June and the player is being linked to many clubs. His former teammate and friend Neymar expressed his desire to play with the star again.

"What I want most of all is to play with Messi again, to be able to enjoy him once again on the pitch," he said after his club PSG's 3-1 Champions League win against Manchester United.

"I want to play with him next year, for sure. We have to do it next season."

Tusquets conceded that scenario was unlikely to transpire at the Nou Camp, where the purse strings have been tightened following the COVID-19 crisis.

"If he (Neymar) became available on a free transfer then maybe we could think about signing him," he said.

"Without making sales, there's no money for new signings unless the new president has incredibly deep pockets."