Barcelona are working hard behind the scenes to turn the dream of Lionel Messi returning to the club into reality.
The 35-year-old had to leave the club of his heart in 2021 due to their failure to renew his contract owing to financial problems. Having spent two seasons in PSG, Messi will become a free agent in the summer and a move back to Barça is very much on the cards.
Giving an insight into Barcelona’s plans for re-signing Messi, Fernando Polo of Mundo Deportivo is reporting that the Catalan giants do not want their former captain back for just one season and one last dance.
Instead, Barcelona want to re-sign Messi for two years, until 2025, despite the fact that he will be turning 36 years old in the summer of this year. The idea is that by signing him for two years, the Argentine could be part of the club’s 125th-anniversary celebrations at the end of 2024.
Manager Xavi Hernandez is in regular contact with his former teammate and is already planning for next season with him in mind.
Meanwhile, Barcelona president Joan Laporta and his board of directors are all on the same page in wanting Messi to return to the club.
The motivation behind wanting to bring the Argentine club is multifold. For starters, Messi is still at the top and would improve the team sportingly while his return also has a sense of sentimentality attached to it.
Apart from that, though, there are financial motives in Barça wanting to bring Messi back this summer. The Blaugrana believe that his return would not only provide fans an added morale ahead of their temporary shift to Montjuic, but also give an economic boost to the club.
Club sources have told Mundo Deportivo that Messi could single-handedly generate 25-30% of next season’s total income at Barça, with some even predicting it to go up to 33%, i.e., one-third of the club’s revenue for the season.
A member of the previous board told the publication that Messi accounted for around €250-300 million of the club’s income in the past through merchandise sales, ticketing, sponsors, social media, and stadium visits.
Barcelona’s last income budget provided for €1255 million, thanks to their famous ‘economic levers’. Now, with no levers, the club hope that Messi’s return would make up for the deficit.
On top of that, the Blaugrana also plan to capitalise on his status as the World Champion, something PSG have failed to do effectively. The club believe that combining the Messi name with the Barcelona brand could have an impact like the ‘Air Jordan’ brand.
For the move to happen, though, Messi would have to accept a lower salary while La Liga would have to accept Barcelona’s economic viability plan and allow his registration. But recent reports suggest that the Catalans are confident about their chances.
