Barcelona resort to desperate measures in Messi pursuit

Tom Hancock

• 28 Apr 2023 09:49 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona have taken a drastic cost-cutting measure in their bid to bring Lionel Messi back to the Camp Nou, pulling the plug on their in-house television channel Barca TV.

Messi has been heavily linked with a summer return to Barca, just two years after joining PSG, but the Catalan giants’ transfer plans continue to be complicated by their enduring financial problems.

As such, the La Liga champions elect appear to have made a tough call in an effort to improve their bank balance.

READ MORE: Messi's Barcelona return could be derailed by England star

According to Barcelona-based radio station RAC1, Barca TV – which was launched back in 1999 – will cease broadcasting on June 30, with club sources stating that the move could save Barca around €13m per season.

Such savings could prove crucial to Barca’s ability to comply with La Liga’s strict financial fair play (FFP) regulations – and their subsequent ability to afford Messi’s wages and register him as a first-team player.

The latter is something Barca have struggled to do of late: Gavi and Ronald Araujo, for example, are still playing on their youth contracts and could theoretically leave for free this summer.

READ MORE: Barcelona will sign players with 'special release clause' this summer

A hero's homecoming?

Messi made an emotional exit from Barcelona after the club found themselves unable to renew his contract, penning a two-year deal at PSG.

That deal included the option of a third year, but recent reports have suggested that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is unlikely to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes.

The 35-year-old – who captained Argentina to glory at last year’s World Cup – scored 672 goals in 778 appearances during his 17 years with Barca, winning 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.