Barcelona is making significant efforts to bring Lionel Messi back to the club this summer, with Spanish newspaper Sport describing their approach as a ‘war economy’ due to their financial difficulties.
Barcelona and Messi seem to be on the verge of a reunion, with the club expressing their desire to bring him back. Messi appears to have played his last game for Paris Saint-Germain following an unsanctioned holiday to Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona are pulling out all the stops to bring Lionel Messi back to the club this summer, with Spanish newspaper sport describing the cuts as a ‘war economy’
However, there is a significant financial obstacle for Barcelona to overcome. Although their offer of €25 million per year to Messi is four times less than his previous contract, it is still prohibitively expensive for the club in their current financial situation.
La Liga has informed Barcelona that they must reduce their debt by €200 million if they wish to participate in next season’s competition, in which they currently lead Real Madrid by 13 points. It remains to be seen whether Barcelona will be able to address their financial issues and bring Messi back to the Camp Nou.
Drastic measures
Barcelona is taking several measures to address their financial difficulties, including reducing the salaries of the first team and youth football players, cutting operational costs, and exploring new revenue streams. This is all part of a ‘war economy’ approach to reduce the club’s debt by €200 million, as required by La Liga for participation in next season’s competition.
The cost-cutting measures are affecting all departments of the club, including professional teams for women’s football, futsal, basketball, handball, and roller hockey. Barcelona is hoping that their financial plan will satisfy La Liga and allow them to register new contracts for Gavi, Ronald Araujo, Sergi Roberto, and Alejandro Balde, in addition to funding a potential deal for Messi.
It remains to be seen whether these measures will be enough for Barcelona to bring Messi back to the Camp Nou and compete at the highest level next season. Nonetheless, the club is taking significant steps to address their financial challenges and remain a competitive force in football.