Busquets’ farewell further cools Leo Messi’s return

2023-05-09 20:06:31

BarcelonaOn Monday, Leo Messi returned to training with Paris Saint-Germain after his apology video amid a deafening noise following the information, advanced by journalist Marçal Lorente in The beach bar, who will go to play in Saudi Arabia this summer together with his friend Sergio Busquets. Tuesday, France Press increased the ball of the Saudi adventure citing sources in the Near East who speak of a “huge contract” for the Argentine star, who would follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, current star of Al-Nassr, in the team rival, Al-Hilal. Another chapter is expected on Wednesday. And so until this series ends, which will be when the Argentinian forward signs his contract with the club where he will play next season. Meanwhile, Joan Laporta is not throwing in the towel and still sees the striker’s return to Barça as possible. “It’s his personal war,” sources from the Barça team admit to ARA.

Contradictory information

monday night the program Our assured that the League had already validated the feasibility plan sent by Barça and, therefore, that the Barcelona club already had the green light for the return of Leo Messi. The information generated surprise and discomfort at the employer’s office, which categorically denied it to this newspaper: “It’s a lie.” The same sources insisted that the documentation presented by Barça – which included a drastic cut for next season and capital gains of 100 million in sales – is being studied and that there is still no final verdict.

The departure of Busquets cools the return

At the same time, one of the players who was waiting for the future of Leo Messi is Sergio Busquets. The midfielder from Badia wanted to play with the Argentine again and had conditioned his continuity at Barça. Finally, Busquets will not renew his contract with the Barcelona club, which expires this summer. This significantly reduces the chances that Messi will return to the culer.

The League wants Messi back, but not at any price

The president of the League, Javier Tebas, assured last week that he wanted the return of Messi, so this means income for the competition. But he also made it clear that he would not make concessions on financial control. Barça’s feasibility plan is ambitious, as it involves returning to the 1:1 rule, and is under study. As far as this newspaper has been able to learn, the only one input that they have had in the culer offices is that the budget is “consistent”, it cannot be validated until two things have happened. The first, that Barça has started to implement the cutback plan – to move from words to deeds. And the second, that the validation body has scrutinized all the concepts, especially those relating to new income, bearing in mind that the summer market has not yet started and that next year is marked by the exile of club in Montjuïc.

A personal battle for Laporta

Two weeks ago, in the meeting held by Mateu Alemany and Ferran Oliver in Madrid with leaders of the League, there was no mention of the Argentine at any time. Both the director of football and the treasurer chatted for an hour and twenty minutes about the salary cap and the registrations of Pablo Gavi and Ronald Araujo, which are “urgent”. “Messi was not even mentioned”, say the employers’ association. But it is the case that the sports management works with an order of priorities different from those of Joan Laporta. From the club they do not hide that the return of Messi is a matter of personal pride for the president, who still feels guilty about his farewell, in 2021. Laporta is warned of the millionaire proposal they are preparing in Saudi Arabia and also knows Barça’s treasury limitations. However, he is willing to fight until the last minute to make his dream come true.

Messi hasn’t made up his mind yet

The information published by France Press was met with disappointment at the Camp Nou: “The petrodollars make it very difficult”, say those close to the president. However, those around Leo Messi denied that he had already chosen his destiny: “We can assure you that there is nothing with anyone. Neither verbal, nor signed, nor agreed upon. And there will be nothing until the end of the season,” said his father, Jorge, through a statement on Instagramwhere he asked for “respect” for his son and guaranteed that no contract will be signed, “at least” until the French Ligue 1 ends.

Avoid a situation similar to that of 2021

Beyond what his father says, Messi’s surroundings admit that the player is seduced by the possibility of returning to Barcelona. However, “under no circumstances” does he want a repeat of a situation like that of 2021, in which his future had not yet been finalized in August. The footballer is willing to wait a reasonable amount of time to find out if he can play for Barça again, but his patience will not last forever. Messi wants to start the pre-season, at the beginning of July, having resolved his contractual situation.

PSG gives him up for lost

After the World Cup, PSG were quick to confirm that they already had a verbal agreement with Messi for the Argentine to complete the third year of his contract, which was set as optional. But the paperwork was never signed. Between the umpteenth failure of the Franco-Qatari club in the Champions League and the fires in the dressing room, the possibility of retaining Messi became distant. And it was definitively annulled when Messi traveled to Saudi Arabia – a country that has a great rivalry with Qatar – without the club’s permission. Messi apologized and PSG lifted his punishment, but everything points to a move to end things on good terms with the French club and the Qatari government. In Paris they already give him up for lost.