Lionel Messi would reportedly have to agree to be paid four times less than what he was earning at Barcelona before he left if he wants a return to the club.
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According to Sport, Barca can only offer the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner a €25 million (R498 million) gross annual salary if he is to make a sensational return to the Camp Nou.
Messi left the club under a cloud in 2021, making the move to Paris Saint-Germain free agent, but with his deal in the French capital expiring at the end of this season, the LaLiga giants now appear to be in pole position to land the forward.
It is believed the Rosario native could sign with the Blaugrana for two years, but with the option of terminating his contract once his first season back is over.
The same report suggests that the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner wants to re-sign with the five-time European champions, but whether or not he will accept the abovementioned wage slash remains to be seen as the diminutive attacker has also received lucrative offers from teams in Saudi Arabia and the United States of America.
It is understood the Catalan side will have to make wholesale changes to their wage structure if they are to re-sign their record goalscorer, but there will likely be a tremendous amount of pressure on president Joan Laporta to make it happen given the club's rhetoric regarding the Argentine in recent months.
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Before securing a second term as Blaugrana president two years ago, Laporta hinged his campaign on being able to extend Messi's contract, but ultimately failed, with the football icon then trading LaLiga for Ligue 1. The 60-year-old will be hoping for a different result this time around.
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