• Takes pay cut to lift Cash-strapped Catalans’ finances
• Blaugrana re-building Champions League-winning team
Argentine and Barcelona Captain, Lionel Messi has taken a 50 percent wage cut to remain and hopefully see off his career at Camp Nou.
So, the cash-strapped Blaugrana have to now hold up their end of the bargain by rebuilding a Champions League-winning team around him.
The deal no doubt brings to an end a nightmarish time for Barcelona. The idea of losing their captain; their all-time top goalscorer, and arguably the greatest player in the history of the game, Messi, was a real fear.
Technically, they did, with Messi having been a free agent since July 1, 2021, and he will continue to be so until he puts pen to paper on the new five-year deal that has been drawn up with Barcelona.
President Joan Laporta was always confident the Argentina star would be convinced to stay, offering him a sporting project that can richen his final years at the club with more trophies and success.
The five-year deal on reduced wages replaces a two-year extension initially discussed. And in fine-tuning Messi’s structured contract, the Catalans will stay within the boundaries of La Liga’s financial fair play regulations.
The 34-year-old is taking a significant salary cut but bonuses have been worked in and he is due to earn less this coming season than he will the season after as Barcelona battle with their finances.
However, there is an understanding that Messi may not see out his contract given that he will be approaching his 39th birthday when the final season of the deal ends. This, too, has been factored into the financial arrangement.
Messi’s future has never been in serious doubt though he became a free agent at the end of June. He has spent his whole career at Barcelona and held no talks with Paris Saint-Germain, who had an interest.
For now, Messi is recuperating after helping Argentina to win the Copa América in Brazil. Barcelona fell short in La Liga and the Champions League last season but have kept faith with Ronald Koeman as manager and signed the free agents Sergio Agüero, Eric García, and Memphis Depay and paid for the right-back, Emerson Royal.
Barcelona have also taken the Austrian forward, Yusuf Demir on loan from Rapid Vienna for €500,000 with an option to buy for €10m but he is listed as a signing for the B team.
Barca have a lot of work to do, not just to keep ridding themselves of deadwood and hammering their bulging wage bill into shape, but also in forming a team around Messi that can win the Champions League again. – With the Guardian and Goal.com reports
