Barcelona President Joan Laporta held a meeting with Lionel Messi’s father and agent, Jorge Messi, earlier today. However, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, the club has been unable to present Messi with a contract offer at this stage.
Barcelona were not able present official bid to Messi yet during the meeting. 🇦🇷
Both sides feel time is running out… but Laporta and Jorge Messi have decided to take some hours to see if there’s a ‘creative’ solution.
Meanwhile, Leo’s decision process is already advanced. pic.twitter.com/0us5IOa9Sp
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 5, 2023
Barcelona Amid Financial Turmoil
Constrained by LaLiga’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, Barcelona faced limitations in their efforts to bring back legendary player Lionel Messi, who departed as a free agent to Paris St Germain in the summer of 2021.
As per La Liga, Barca still exceed the cap by approximately 200 million euros, preventing them from officially registering the contracts of defender Ronald Araujo and midfielder Gavi, both vital players for the team. This situation has created uncertainty regarding their futures unless the club can find a solution to accommodate them within its budgetary constraints.
Will Lionel Messi Return To Barcelona?
For weeks, Barcelona have been awaiting approval from La Liga for their viability plan, which would allow them to make new signings as they are currently exceeding their salary limit. News broke just before midday in Spain that the plan had received the green light, and shortly thereafter, Jorge Messi was spotted at Laporta’s residence.
Following the meeting, Jorge Messi expressed optimism about reaching a deal with the Spanish outfit for his son. He confirmed Lionel Messi’s desire to return to his former club after PSG officially announced that he will not be staying at Parc Des Princes beyond his current contract. However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona and the Messi camp know time is running out to finalize an agreement. Currently, there is no concrete offer on the table, and both parties are exploring potential “creative solutions” to overcome the obstacles in their negotiations.
Although there is a sense of urgency surrounding a potential deal, it is important to note that the pressure to finalize an agreement quickly may be from either the Messi camp or other interested teams. It is understandable that Jorge Messi would prefer to reach a resolution as soon as possible. However, the timeline for reaching a deal could vary depending on Lionel Messi’s own desires and level of involvement in the negotiation process.
