Barcelona's most controversial 'financial lever' yet to sign Messi

Tom Weber

• 7 Apr 2023 11:34 CDT
• 3 min read

Barcelona's plan to comply with LaLiga's financial regulations next season includes a controversial cost-cutting measure that threatens to antagonise their playing personnel.

The Blaugrana have been in dire straits financially for some time and the club hierarchy of Joan Laporta and company have been hard at work coming up with tricks and emergency measures to alleviate the economic troubles. Several of these so-called 'financial levers' have somewhat eased the burden, but more steps are necessary before the club can get back on solid footing - especially if they want to make big-money signings like that of PSG megastar Lionel Messi.

Indeed, another lever has recently been activated when the Catalans signed off on a €1.5 billion loan with Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan to finance renovations on the Camp Nou and surrounding facilities.

READ: Barcelona activate ANOTHER lever but still can't afford new players

Before beginning negotiations with Lionel Messi over his highly-anticipated return, 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.

Now, reports suggest that these measures will be quite drastic and could even threaten the project head coach Xavi is building.

Comprehensive wage cuts

Reports from Spain suggested that the savings plan includes "a reduction in spending with salary cuts," but what they didn't reveal was that these cuts were not merely for one or two big earners but across the board. Indeed, the entire playing squad will allegedly be asked to assent to a 15 per cent reduction!

According to Relevo, Barca are hoping for "a total saving that would exceed €70 million." To facilitate this, some players, like Jordi Alba, will apparently get new contracts with heavily reduced salaries, while other players' wages will simply be deferred.

READ: Barcelona make REQUEST to complete Messi mega-transfer

Whether Xavi's squad - which is on course to win LaLiga - will agree to this just so that Barcelona can re-sign Messi and make other million-euro investments is probably quite unlikely and could cause friction between the club and the players.