Barcelona can’t sign Messi unless…

Carlo Garganese

• 19 Apr 2023 17:15 BST
• 3 min read

La Liga president Javier Tebas has explained the financial measures that Barcelona must undertake in order to sign Lionel Messi, admitting that it will be a difficult deal to do in the current circumstances.

Barcelona are currently working on a deal to bring Messi back to Camp Nou on a free transfer this summer, two years after he left to join PSG.

But a transfer will be difficult because of Barcelona’s well-publicisied financial crisis.

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Barcelona are set to meet with LaLiga chiefs to ascertain the feasibility of such a signing, and the club executives will also present a financial plan with cost-cutting measures to convince the league that it can afford Messi.

Part of this includes massive salary cuts so that Barcelona can afford to register Messi.

Things are so serious currently that wonderkid midfielder Gavi is still registered as a youth team as Barca are spending too much on wages to register him as a senior player.

What did Tebas say about Messi

"Barca must take many financial measures to undertake Messi’s registration,” Tebas said at a La Liga assembly.

“They need lot of effort to make it happen. Today I don't see his signing as feasible.

“But there’s a lot of time left, Barca can still make moves to get Leo. We are still awaiting a feasibility plan from Barcelona. They need a big effort to make it happen."

Messi’s contract at PSG expires at the end of the season and talks to renew the deal have ground to a halt.

It had been expected for much of the season that Messi would indeed pen a renewal. However, we are now in April and still Messi has not penned an extension.

The consensus among many sections of the media is that Messi is now more likely to leave PSG than stay.

There have been four main clubs fighting it out for Messi’s services next season.

They are signing a new contract at PSG, returning to Barcelona, joining Inter Miami or moving to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Hilal.

The offer on the table from Al-Hilal is believed to be a staggering €400 million per year.

But Messi is believed to be unwilling to leave