Lionel Messi agrees
According to skysports, Lionel Messi agrees to a contract extension with a 50% wage reduction., Last summer, Lionel Messi came close to leaving the Nou Camp after submitting a transfer request, but he could only go if his โฌ700 million release clause was satisfied by another club; Argentina forwardโs income will be cut in half under conditions of a new contract.
Lionel Messi has verbally agreed to a five-year contract extension with Barcelona, with his pay set to be cut by half under the new conditions.
After failing to reach an agreement on a contract renewal before his previous Barcelona deal ended on June 30, the six-time Ballon dโOr winner became a free agent on July 1.
Messi had previously led Argentina to the Copa America title with a 1-0 triumph against hosts Brazil in the final, ending his quest for his first major international prize. Lionel Messi agrees to a contract extension with a 50% wage reduction.
In August of last year, Messi triggered an ugly transfer controversy when he formally notified the club of his desire to exercise a provision in his contract that would have allowed him to go for free
However, La Liga president Javier Tebas and Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu rejected the transaction, stating that the clause was only valid until June 10 and that any suitor would have to pay the whole โฌ700 million release clause.
โThe president always told me that I could stay or go at the end of the season, and now theyโre clinging to the fact that I didnโt say anything by June 10, when it turns out that the La Liga season was still going on at the time, and we were in the midst of this virus and illness that threw the entire fixture calendar off.โ
โAnd itโs for that reason that Iโve decided to stay at the club.โ Iโm staying now because the president said the only way out was to pay the โฌ700 million release clause, which is impossible.โ
Messi wanted to hear his successor Joan Laportaโs intentions before making a decision about his future, thus Bartomeu resigned in October.
Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been the front-runners for his signature. Messi also hopes to play in Major League Soccer one day.
Barcelona Lionel Messiโs contract expires, making him a free agent | Video
Q&A with Lionel Messi: How can Barcelona afford this deal?, Lionel Messi agrees.
Why did Barcelona offer such a long-term deal?
โThe rationale for the five-year contract is because Messi is expected to play for the next two years, but itโs a lengthier contract to ensure that he remains tied to the club as an ambassador.โ
However, there is speculation that he might leave the club after two years while still getting paid.
โItโs a method for Barcelona to pay over a five-year period.โ Thatโs one of the reasons he was able to take such a large cut of approximately 50%.โ
Will a 50% salary cut be enough for Barcelona?, Lionel Messi agrees to a contract extension with a 50% wage reduction.
โItโs possible, but theyโll still have work to do. Messi has been persuaded to remain for quite some time, but one of the reasons they havenโt been allowed to register him is due to La Liga restrictions.
They have stringent financial controls in place, and you canโt register new players until youโve satisfied their requirements.
โThey have a lot of pay to get off their books, and theyโre still working on it.
Itโs why there have been rumors that they may make a swap trade with Atletico Madridโs Saul Niguez and Antoine Griezmann.
It would free up some of Griezmannโs exorbitant salaries so that Messi could be paid.