Barcelona Receive Green Light On Viability Plan From La Liga To Re-Sign Lionel Messi
In a major development overnight, TV3 reported that La Liga have given the green light to Barcelona over their economic viability plan ahead of the summer transfer window. The Blaugrana now need to generate €100 million in player sales to fulfil the plan.
Barcelona have been finding ways to address their Financial Fair Play situation so that they can re-sign former captain Lionel Messi in the summer, when he becomes a free agent.
Apart from that, the league leaders also have the contract registrations of key players like Gavi and Ronald Araujo to take care of.
Barça had sent in their economic viability plan to La Liga towards the end of the last month and had been waiting for approval so that they can press ahead with their interest in Messi.
And now, as per the report, the league, headed by president Javier Tebas, has given its green light to the Catalans’ feasibility plan, opening the doors for Messi to return to Barcelona for one last dance.
Tebas is said to see the return of Messi, the best player in the world, to La Liga very favourably and has thus approved the plan presented by the club. It is now up to Barcelona to fulfil the plan by generating at least €100 million through player sales.
And, as per the report, Barcelona are confident that they can raise that much money in the summer without having to sell any of their ‘untouchable’ players.
Instead, the soon-to-be-crowned La Liga champions believe that the departures of Ansu Fati and Raphinha could be enough to make the €100 million needed.
According to recent reports, Barcelona are asking for €80 million for Raphinha amid interest from Chelsea and Newcastle United.
As for Fati, even though he is reluctant to leave, an exit seems likely and a fee of around €40 million has been mentioned in the past, although superagent Jorge Mendes has assured the club that he can get offers of around €70 million from the Premier League for the 20-year-old.
On top of that, guaranteed departures of loanees like Clement Lenglet, Sergino Dest, and Samuel Umtiti could also potentially generate some more revenue, helping Barcelona achieve their targets.
So, pending further confirmation, La Liga have approved Barcelona’s economic viability plan, which should bring Messi’s return a step closer.
