Barcelona-Messi deal: Lionel Messi joined PSG on a free transfer in 2021. His exit from Barcelona was largely due to the Catalan club’s poorly managed financial position.
However, it was uncertain the demands of the Argentine that could not be met by the club. Especially, considering the spending spree the club has been in since Messi’s departure.
El Mundo have revealed the nine demands Messi put forth in order to sign an extension. The report also mentions, the club had agreed ro seven of the nine deals. However, the Barcelona-Messi deal broke down due to the final two demands.
Barcelona-Messi deal: The demands put forth by Messi
El Mundo reported the following demands.
1. As well as the three-year deal, Messi is reported to have requested an automatic pay rise linked to tax increases into his contract – if the Spanish government raised taxes, Messi’s net salary would have also increased.
2. He also wanted the club to keep on employing his personal assistant, Pepe Costa, who was believed to be one of the post-pandemic cuts the club was considering.
3. The wage cut that Messi himself took during the pandemic would also have needed to have been repaid to him as part of any new deal.
4. As we all know, travel at Christmas can be frantic, so Messi had asked the club to spare him the pain by providing him with a private plane during the festive period.
5. A private box at Camp Nou for his family was another request.
6. As well as, perhaps oddly, a similar facility for teammate Luis Suarez.
7. Messi’s family was to be further looked after with a commission on the deal paid to his brother Rodrigo Messi, who was Christian Atsu’s agent at the time.
8. He wanted to essentially eliminate the release clause that all Spanish teams use and replace it with trust. Messi’s release clause at the time was a reported €700m, but he wanted to reduce that to a token €10,000, and Barcelona refused.
9.He also wanted a €10m renewal bonus. Which the club said they could not accommodate due to a lack of funds.
