Messi gives 10-day deadline to Barcelona to prove they can sign him this summer amid FFP concerns
Messi gives 10-day deadline to Barcelona on clarity over hopeful summer return
Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona rumours are back again, and this time, several reports emerging from Spain suggest Messi has given his former club a 10-day deadline to prove if they can sign him this summer amid concerns around Financial Fair Play rules. With top bosses, including the president and head coach, Xavi, going public on how much they want Messi back at Camp Nou, Barcelona is yet to get the green signal from LaLiga over the same.
With Lionel Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain up this summer, the World Cup winner with Argentina will look out for a new club. While there is serious interest from Al-Hilal in Saudi Pro League to sign him, MLS club Inter Miami is also in the race to bring Messi on the board.
However, having spent more than two decades at FC Barcelona, several people close to him feel Messi’s heart still lies there, and as a result, he’s not ruling out a chance to return to Camp Nou for his final run. For this to reach its fruitful conclusion, a lot needs to be done and taken care of in between.
Earlier, Barcelona President Joan Laporta revealed the club proposed a ‘viable plan’ to LaLiga that states selling a few players and a roadmap on how to sign Messi this summer.
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However, Messi giving a ten-day deadline to Barcelona doesn’t mean he will sign the papers and announce his return to the club - it means Messi would get clarity on his future before the new season begins.
How can Barcelona sign Messi?
With the Spanish League wanting Barcelona to lower expenditureby 200 million, the sale of veterans Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique last season helped them cut the cost by nearly 100 million. Also, because Camp Nou is getting renovated, the income will get shrunk by 50 million despite playing in Montjuïc.
It is also understood that LaLiga will accept the plan by next week, and then Barcelona can go ahead and execute the sales and purchases to fulfil what is proposed. Firstly, Barca wants to complete contract extensions of a few players, and then their priority would be to get the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner back to where he belonged.
Besides, another request from Lionel Messi’s camp is his iconic reunion with the number 10 jersey – that for now belongs to winger Ansu Fati.
While Fati could switch the jersey number for Messi’s homecoming, a consensus among people close to information states Barcelona could rather contemplate selling Fati to generate more funds.
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