Lionel Messi’s current deal with PSG is due to expire at the end of the season and the Argentine superstar has been linked with a stunning return to Barcelona
Barcelona are hoping to re-sign Lionel Messi this summer and the La Liga giants are making huge cuts in an attempt to comply with the league’s strict Financial Fair Play rules.
Due to Barcelona’s financial struggles, La Liga rejected their attempt to register new contracts for the likes of Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Marcos Alonso and the club are desperately looking to cut back on expenditure.
Gerard Pique’s decision to retire in November and the sale of Memphis Depay to Atletico Madrid in January have helped matters, but La Liga president Javier Tebas has repeatedly warned Barcelona they need to save an additional €200m (£176m) before they can even consider signing new players.
When asked if Barcelona would be able to re-sign Messi, Tebas admitted they would not be allowed to under current circumstances before adding: “I hope they can make the necessary moves to make space for Messi to come in.”
And in an attempt to further cut costs, Barcelona have shut down their official TV channel BarcaTV. According to Spanish outlet El Partidazo de Cope, Barcelona were paying between €8-6m (£7-5m) per year to run the channel and made the move to ‘try to balance numbers and adjust to the Financial Fair Play’.
Should Barcelona find away to comply with La Liga’s strict financial rules, it would pave the way for Messi to return to the Nou Camp after Mirror Football exclusively revealed that PSG are not prioritising tying him down to a new deal.
Messi joined PSG back in 2021 as a free agent, but his two-year contract is set to expire this summer and Barcelona chiefs have revealed they have made contact with his camp about a potential return.
PSG star Lionel Messi has been linked with a return to Barcelona
“Leo and his family know the affection we have for them,” Barcelona’s vice-president Rafa Yuste said last month. I participated in the [contract] negotiations that in the end did not come to fruition unfortunately and I still have that thorn in my side.
“Of course I would love to see him return and I am sure that many fans share my feeling. I believe beautiful stories in life have to have happy endings and that’s why we are in contact with Messi, of course.
“When you’re in love with a person, you lose contact but you want to continue being in love and I think Leo is also in love with Barca and the city of Barcelona. I think fate will make it possible. Let’s see if we can have Leo back in Barcelona.”