Club already circling Messi after Barca exit

By AP -- Barcelona's announcement that Lionel Messi would beryllium leaving the nine acceptable Paris Saint-Germain scrambling to fig retired if it could motion the astir desired escaped cause successful shot history.

Messi called PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is besides from Argentina, connected Thursday, a idiosyncratic with cognition of the concern told The Associated Press. The idiosyncratic spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that the idiosyncratic was not authorised to sermon backstage discussions.

The idiosyncratic said PSG was assessing the imaginable gross that could beryllium generated by signing Messi portion besides paying him a immense wage and complying with soccer's fiscal regulations.

Funded for a decennary by Qatari sovereign wealth, PSG is 1 of the fewer clubs successful the satellite that tin spend the 34-year-old Messi's salary. A situation would look to beryllium ensuring ongoing compliance with UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules, though immoderate flexibility has been provided owed to the pandemic and changes are owed to the strategy designed to stem losses. It is PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi who, arsenic president of the European Club Association and a subordinate of UEFA's enforcement committee, is progressive successful the process of discussing a wider update to FFP.

Lionel Messi is leaving Barcelona. (picture confederation via Getty Image)

PSG's astir caller published accounts, covering 2019-20, amusement the wage measure was 414.4 cardinal euros connected a gross of 560 cardinal euros, arsenic it already pays large salaries to Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.

Messi was acceptable to marque astir 70 cardinal euros ($112m) per twelvemonth nether his caller Barcelona declaration by taking a 50 per cent wage cut, but it was ne'er signed. Barcelona said connected Thursday that contempt reaching an statement with Messi connected the caller terms, the Spanish league intervened due to the fact that the nine would not beryllium complying with wage headdress regulations.

It leaves unfastened the anticipation of the exit announcement being reversed if Barcelona tin person the league to backmost off. But Barcelona's debts transcend 1.2 cardinal euros, a plight not caused by the pandemic but exacerbated by the deficiency of gross from bare stadiums connected apical of years of fiscal problems.

Lionel Messi takes a changeable astatine extremity for Barcelona past season. (picture confederation via Getty Image)

While Barcelona's societal media accounts paid tribute to his career, Messi has yet to station thing online astir leaving the nine helium has been astatine since the property of 13, winning 35 titles. He helped the nine triumph the Champions League 4 times, the Spanish league 10 times, the Copa del Rey 7 times and the Spanish Super Cup 8 times.

If PSG was to motion Messi, helium would beryllium reunited with erstwhile Barcelona guardant Neymar. He would besides beryllium the latest escaped accomplishment astatine the French nine this offseason, pursuing goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, defender Sergio Ramos and midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum. Like Messi, their contracts expired astatine Milan, Real Madrid and Liverpool, respectively.

Mauricio Pochettino. (Getty)

Manchester City, which is owned by the Abu Dhabi royal family, whitethorn person the tendency and connections to motion Messi. But reuniting him with erstwhile Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola could beryllium analyzable financially with the Premier League champions breaking the British transportation grounds connected Thursday by signing Jack Grealish for 100 cardinal pounds.

Guardiola each but ruled retired the anticipation of signing Messi, and referenced the outlay for Grealish.

"Right now, it's not successful our thoughts, perfectly not," Guardiola said connected Friday astatine a quality conference.

Guardiola said helium hasn't spoken to Messi.

"In the extremity it was astonishment for everyone, maine included of course," helium said. "The president, (Joan) Laporta, was wide contiguous the reasons why. I didn't talk with the subordinate oregon the president truthful I don't cognize what happened."

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