Barcelona desperate for Messi's return? La Liga giants to 'cut wage bill by £150 mn' to pave way for PSG star

Barcelona appears to be resorting to desperate measures to ensure legendary striker Lionel Messi can make a sensational comeback to Camp Nou from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) next year. To pave the way for the Argentinian talisman's return, the La Liga giants are reportedly planning to slash their wage bill by a further 150 million pounds, with captain Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquests all at the risk of being transferred.

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Barcelona spent 145 million pounds on various signings throughout the summer transfer window. Still, it could not officially register these new players at the start of the year due to financial restrictions, leaving stars like Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde in limbo. The Catalan club was able to raise the money by partially offloading future TV rights revenue and Barca Studios, their in-house media production facility. 

According to the Spanish daily Sport, their wage bill is still staggering at 546 million pounds, but they aim to cut it by another 150 million pounds. The optimum wage bill is between 376 million and 402 million pounds. The report adds that this projected reduction already considers the exits of Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Gerard Pique. Busquets has played 685 times for Barcelona, Pique 608 times, while Alba has played 433 times. Fans of the Catalan powerhouses would mourn their losses.

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They will be comforted by the statement made by Barcelona's vice president of economics, Eduard Romeu, that it might lead to Lionel Messi making a sensational comeback to the team, adding that this would be financially 'possible'. Due to financial difficulties at the Catalan giants, the Argentinian legend left the club last summer and joined PSG. However, his deal with the Ligue 1 team ends in 2023. After the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, the seven-time Ballon d'Or is anticipated to decide on his future, and Romeu has stated that Barcelona could afford to bring Messi back to Camp Nou. 

"It would be possible financially because if he (Messi) returned it would be as a free agent,' Romeu told El Mati de Catalunya Radio. "But it's a decision which has to be made by the coaching staff and the player. It doesn't correspond to me [to make those decisions], but it would be viable. Although I don't have it in the budget. He is an icon of the club. This will always be his home, but it will be a technical decision [if he returns]," he added.

Also read: Lionel Messi 'won't renew PSG contract' next season; will icon make sensational Barcelona return?

Despite his comments on potentially re-signing Messi, Romeu has admitted that Barcelona is still two years away from being in a healthy financial position. "We have saved Barça, but we still haven't resolved it. We don't have it healthy; it involves a lot of austerity, a lot of rigour and there is a lot of work to do. In the 2024/25 season we will be at the level that corresponds to us," he stated.

Romeu has refused to downplay Barcelona's prospects of acquiring Messi, but the 35-year-old legendary striker recently said he is enjoying' himself in Paris, dropping a hint that he might decide to stay longer in the French city. "I feel good, different from last year and I knew it was going to be like that. Last year, as I've already said, I had a bad time, I never finished finding myself but this year is different. I've arrived with a different head, more accommodated to the club, to the dressing room, to the game, to my teammates. The truth is I feel very good and I'm enjoying myself again," Messi had said.

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The Argentina international won the Champions League four times and La Liga on 10 occasions during his first spell at Barcelona, where he scored 672 goals in 778 games. Messi has scored 17 goals and raked up 22 assists from 45 appearances for PSG. Only time will tell if the legendary footballer will renew his contract with the Ligue 1 champions next year, make a sensational return to Barcelona or choose to move to another club altogether.