Barcelona distance themselves from Messi transfer

FT Desk

• 29 Nov 2022 19:35 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona have poured cold water on the idea that they might be able to re-sign club legend Lionel Messi from Paris Saint-Germain this season.

Messi is available on a free transfer at the end of the campaign having left for the World Cup with Argentina without agreeing terms on the extension of his contract at the Parc des Princes.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi claims Messi is happy in the French capital, but interest in perhaps the greatest player of all time is understandably high given his likely availability this summer, and Barca, as well as David Beckham's Inter Miami, have been linked with moves.

READ: Inter Miami CLOSE to signing Messi as Barcelona miss out

Messi tallied a record 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 games with Barcelona before leaving on a free to Paris last summer with the Blaugrana wrestling with a €1.35 billion debt, and the club would love to have him back. But it may not be possible.

"Leo's a player who will always have a presence at Barcelona," Joan Laporta told Marca. "Barca's his home. [But] I won't comment on any more topics related to him because he has a contract with PSG, and it'd be in bad taste. I won't go into any more specifics."

Laporta has helped pull Barca out of their financial dire straits by activating what he described as "financial levers" - the sale of a percentage of future revenues for things like merchandising and TV rights - but their group stage exit from this season's Champions League means that a move for Messi, or anyone else, might be unrealistic in 2022/23.

READ: Which players are Barcelona watching at the World Cup?

Barca hamstrung

"On Thursday we received confirmation that our salary margin would be even more restrictive than before," he said. "We're going to meet our budget of earning €274 million but that won't count towards financial fair play rules. They should review it because it doesn't make any sense."

"If we signed someone, it'd be convenient to do it in winter, but I already said that we have a competitive team. We're the club that sent the most players to the World Cup."

Barca spent €150m on Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde this summer, players who helped fire them to the top of La Liga before leaving for Qatar with Poland, Brazil and France respectively.