Now on a well-deserved holiday, Lionel Messi will be hoping that Barcelona have put together a deal for him to accept upon his return, however, it won’t be easy for the Catalans.
Club president, Joan Laporta, has always maintained that securing Messi for what would be a final contract with the blaugranes, is his priority.
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Given Barca’s desperate financial situation, it requires some of the Argentinian’s team-mates to swallow one hell of a salary reduction if they still want him alongside them next season.
According to Deportes Cuatro cited by Sport, Barcelona’s three highest earners will need to agree to drop their wages by 40 percent so that the deal for Messi can be signed off.
Failing that, if the club are able to move on Antoine Griezmann, that would solve the issue.
It isn’t clear whether the Frenchman would be open to a transfer, though it’s clear things won’t be too comfortable at Barca after Griezmann was caught with Ousmane Dembele making racist gestures in a video from three years ago, which has recently surfaced.
Either way, there are big decisions that have to be made, and quickly.
We need our captain no matter what. Please mr president do something