Lionel Messi no longer belongs to Barcelona! For the first time in his career, he becomes a free agent

The mainstay and building block of Barcelona becomes a free agent as of Thursday midnight. It is the first time in his professional career. But the president of the Catalan club, Joan Laporta, reassures all supporters that the problem is not on the side of Barcelona or the player himself.

The Spanish big club is trying these hours to come up with a solution that would not contradict the financial fair-play of La Liga. This seems to be the only obstacle preventing both parties from signing a contract at the moment.

“They have to make some cuts in their team to be able to cover the cost of Leo’s contract,” says La Liga president Javier Tebas.

The previous contract Messi signed in 2017 saw him earn a whopping 3.6 billion crowns per season. However, he can probably forget about such a sum.

After all, Barcelona’s budget has been significantly reduced during the pandemic. Back in February, the amount was around €671 million. Since March, however, this amount has fallen to €347 million.

However, both Barcelona and Messi are still interested in extending their contracts. Everything is on track, according to Barcelona club president Joan Laporta.

“However, we still have problems with financial fair-play that prevent us from signing the contract. I am currently in the process of finding the best solution for our club and the players,” Laporta was quoted as saying by the Spanish daily.

Moreover, Barcelona could theoretically easily lose the star Argentine if the 34-year-old striker agrees a hasty deal with another big club. The player’s future is therefore quite unclear

Sources: ESPN, Onda Cero