Lionel Messi’s love affair with boyhood outfit Barcelona is heading towards a bumpy road. The Argentine who failed to register a contract with the Spanish club before the start of the summer window is now in danger of not playing for Barcelona before January.
If the Catalan’s depleting finances aren’t resurrected, then Barcelona cannot register Lionel Messi in their world-class roster until January.
And not only Lionel Messi, but the players in Ronald Koeman’s extravagant shopping list also cannot don the prestigious Blaugrana jersey. Barcelona’s bankruptcy and La Liga’s wage rules mean the Spanish giants have time till 31st August to register the new faces otherwise the club could be proceeding towards an unfortunate downfall.
THE CURRENT SITUATION
Problems have once again knocked on Camp Nou’s door with Joan Laporta and the company facing a new headache. If the reports are to be believed, Spanish giants Barcelona could fail to enrol Lionel Messi and recent additions Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia, and Memphis Depay until the winter transfer window opens.
If Barcelona cannot have their money in shape and comply with La Liga’s rigorous wage ceiling restrictions before the transfer window closes on August 31, the Blaugrana will be without the services of their talismanic Argentine for the first half of the La Liga season.
He’s finally here! We are very happy to count with you, @memphis, and we are sure that you will give us a lot of happy moments. Welcome to the Club! #MemphisCuler pic.twitter.com/46YhXQ2C3n
— Joan Laporta Estruch🎗 (@JoanLaportaFCB) July 22, 2021
After his original contract expired on June 30, Messi was a free agent and was free to negotiate terms with any football club. He is said to have agreed on a settlement over a revised five-year contract that includes a 50% wage decrease over his previous contract, but it will not be finalized and certified until the financial situation at Camp Nou ameliorates.
Barcelona will have to guarantee they register Messi before La Liga’s deadline otherwise the Argentine could be on a break till January.
With the coronavirus epidemic exacerbating the club’s financial woes, Barca will need to secure funding and cut costs to stay inside the pay regulations. Barcelona will have to ensure that Messi is in their 2021/22 blueprint and that too before January otherwise the club’s La Liga dreams could fall off the track.
Despite the fact that free agents can sign with current teams outside of the summer market if they were officially a free agent when the preceding recruitment period opened, the 31 August timeframe remains crucial for Barcelona.
THE TRANSFERRED
While Joan Laporta is endlessly adding items to his summer shopping cart, the administration at Camp Nou has forgotten to abolish a handful of names from their magnificent roster. Portuguese winger Francisco Trincao was expected to be the Catalan’s future but his string of devastating performances meant he was thrown to Wolves on a loan deal with an option to buy.
The full story as Francisco Trincão joins on loan from @FCBarcelona ahead of the 2021/22 season. #WelcomeTrincão
🗞✍️
— Wolves (@Wolves) July 4, 2021
While Spanish defender Junior Firpo never looked comfortable in a Blaugrana shirt and like Trincao he found his new home in England with Leeds United earning his signature.
Barcelona’s biggest failure in the transfer window has been their incapability to get rid of the deadwood in their squad. Miraljem Pjanic, Antoinne Griezmann, Phillipe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and Samuel Umtiti were the five names that could have fetched Barcelona millions with the wage bill being automatically balanced.
Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele are on a list of at least nine players Barcelona would be willing to part with this summer.
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 22, 2021
Unfortunately, an ageing Samuel Umtiti hasn’t found himself a buyer, Pjanic is not willing to return to the Old Ladies, Griezmann’s and Saul’s swap has fallen to the ground, and an injury-prone Coutinho and Dembele are not on European clubs’ shopping cart.
Barcelona can’t register any new signings, not Memphis Depay, Sergio Agüero and Eric García, after exceeding the La Liga salary cap.
Barcelona need to reduce their wage bill by €200,000,000
No Barcelona player wants to take a salary cut nor leave. They're in serious trouble 😳 pic.twitter.com/u1mVxyABqr
— FootballFunnys (@FootballFunnnys) July 6, 2021
And another problem that has ignited Barcelona’s disastrous finances is the fact that senior players in the dressing room aren’t prepared to accept a salary cut. Left-back Jordi Alba, defensive-midfielder Sergio Busquets, and right-back Sergio Roberto have been the Catalans longest disciples.
Unfortunately, the La Masia graduates haven’t reached an agreement with Laporta and a reduced salary for the proper functioning of the club doesn’t flatter the trio’s roadmap.
The club is in a very precarious state and the obstinacy shown by the top locker room leaders’ is increasing Barcelona’s problems. It is in a frantic attempt to cut its pay bill. If a deal cannot be made, the team will be forced to take serious procedures and commander in chief Laporta is prepared to go to any length. He has no other choice if he wants to safeguard his endeavour.
THE IMPACT OF LIONEL MESSI’S ABSENCE
While words can’t describe the Argentine’s influence on the Catalans, his 672 strikes for the Spanish giants truly explain why Messi is the fulcrum of Barcelona. Last season, the Blaugranes had a shambolic start to their campaign, losing unnecessary matches but since Messi’s goal-scoring fortunes changed, the club experienced a total revamp.
The fact that the Argentine swooped all of the personal awards in South America along with the prestigious trophy tells you why the free agent could prove to be a hot property even at 34.
Dictating the centre of the midfield alongside Frenkie De Jong in Ronald Koeman’s new formation, the Argentine veteran sneaked behind defenders, dribbled past challenges, and smashed rockets rattling the goalkeeper’s frame. His man of the match performance in the Copa Del Rey final, and that wide smile after he ended Barcelona’s disastrous silverware drought spoke volumes about the Argentine’s connection with the Spanish club.
If Barcelona won’t be able to register their number.10 until January, the Catalans could be destined for a catastrophic campaign. Barcelona’s season could easily fall off the track without Messi’s presence. Although Koeman’s roster is full of talented players, their influence wasn’t evident when the 34-year-old was rested by the Dutch manager.
