Messi gives Barcelona DEADLINE to make move

Tom Weber

• Updated: 31 May 2023 16:12 BST
• 3 min read

Lionel Messi has reportedly given Barcelona a deadline to confirm whether or not they will actually be able to sign him.

The Messi saga has been dragging on for months and there is still no end in sight. Saudi side Al-Hilal have made him a lucrative offer that would see him earn more than €1 billion over two seasons, but the Argentine's preference is staying in Europe and returning to Barcelona.

The Blaugrana, however, still have not received approval from LaLiga for their financial viability plan and they still have balanced their books yet despite making some progress. Even the departures of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who will reportedly shave as much as €40 million off their wage bill, won't be enough for Barcelona to comply with the league's Financial Fair Play regulations.

READ: Ligue 1 Team of the Season: Mbappe and Messi in after leading PSG to glory

Recent reports suggested that Messi will wait until the expiration of his PSG contract before making a decision, but they also stressed that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner does not want to sit around waiting for an offer from Barcelona all summer. Fresh news now claim he is already sick of waiting.

Messi gives deadline

According to Relevo, the 35-year-old has given Barcelona a 10-day deadline to let him know whether or not his signing would be feasible for the club. The report goes on to suggest that Messi only wants to return to Barcelona, yet if they can't figure out their economic struggles, he may be forced to look elsewhere.

If Messi has really given the club a deadline, his father and agent Jorge may be behind it. Some reports have previously claimed that Jorge Messi has been imploring his son to accept Al-Hilal's big-money offer.

READ: Neymar REJECTS Ronaldo and Saudi Arabia in favour of Man Utd

While Barcelona have been unable to submit an official bid, other teams have been trying to make a move. French reports have asserted that David Beckham's Inter Miami could sign Messi and initially loan him to Barcelona, while a Spanish outlet wrote yesterday that the World Cup winner has received an offer from the Premier League.