Lionel Messi | Joins Inter Miami (pg4111)

[hihosilva]

Messi will want this sorted out in the next few weeks. He will not want to go to the World Cup with the uncertainty about his future hanging over him.

 

[Anonymous]

It would be easy to just stay there and see out his days but then again he could ask himself if he has the stones to try something new and see if he's as good in a league that's very different to the one he's currently playing in

I think it's all going to come down to money. It was reported over the weekend that the deal which Messi's father has struck in his tax evasion case against the Spanish authorities will mean him having to pay somewhere around 30 million euros to them to avoid a criminal conviction which comes with mandatory jail time. I'm not saying that they don't have the money to pay the fines which have been levied, but that amount is enormous even for a world football star like Messi.

At the same time a new contract is being renegotiated with Barca and it's clear from the noises which have come from the current board that although they want to renew, they haven't for the moment come close to acquiescing to Messi's demands. It might well be a case of them simply waiting until the season is over to make the offer. On the other hand it might be that they simply don't have the money or don't want to commit the money which the Messi's are asking for.

Then there's the renovations to the Camp Nou and to the playing squad which need to be done. More and more commentators in Spain are saying that the work needed on the Barca squad is going to be expensive and wide ranging. They don't have a host of players coming through the B team who can make the step up, so they need to go out and buy top players. They are also in the position where the players they currently have were all honed in a very particular style of football, which although not obsolete now, is certainly something which needs to be evolved. Again they need new players to do this.

Because of the structure at Barca it's easy to find the figures which have been put forward for the stadium rebuild. The total cost is 600 million euros. When the figure was announced Barca also announced that 200 million euros would come from bank loans, 200 million from their own cash reserves, plus another 200 million in sponsorships/naming rights for the new stadium.

To put those figures into some context, Barca turned over around 500 millions euros last season and had operating costs of around 450 million euros, so they were profitable to the tune of 50 million. However they acknowledge that the profit is largely down to the sale of Thiago to Bayern. They have announced the transfer budget for this coming summer will be 60 million euros plus whatever they bring in from outgoing players.

So in short from a boardroom perspective, the sale of Messi at around 200 million euros would allow the club to rebuild the Nou Camp without the need for any bank loans. Of course there's huge downside because you lose the best player in the world and all the added marketing value he brings to the club. However plenty of people in Barcelona believe the purchase of Neymar was always about replacing Messi's worth on and off the field. Conversely giving Messi the contract he wants will mean shattering the amounts Ronaldo currently earns (500k per week gross), and saddling themselves with a liability of 100 million euros over five years PLUS the bonuses Jorge Messi will want for the renewal.

I'm not just saying this ... but if I were in Barca's shoes - I'd sell Messi this summer, rebuild the team, rebuild the stadium, and usher in a new era because the alternative might well be paying through the nose to keep Messi whilst having to neglect key areas of the squad which need serious surgery.

 

[Sky Blue]

£164 million is a bargain. i hope the rumours are true.

Imagine a forward line of Silva, Aguero, Negredo and Messi ..... Make it happen Sheikh Mansour !

I doubt you are a blue but if the small chance you are that username should be fucked off pronto.

 

[andyhinch]

It would be easy to just stay there and see out his days but then again he could ask himself if he has the stones to try something new and see if he's as good in a league that's very different to the one he's currently playing in

I think it's all going to come down to money. It was reported over the weekend that the deal which Messi's father has struck in his tax evasion case against the Spanish authorities will mean him having to pay somewhere around 30 million euros to them to avoid a criminal conviction which comes with mandatory jail time. I'm not saying that they don't have the money to pay the fines which have been levied, but that amount is enormous even for a world football star like Messi.

At the same time a new contract is being renegotiated with Barca and it's clear from the noises which have come from the current board that although they want to renew, they haven't for the moment come close to acquiescing to Messi's demands. It might well be a case of them simply waiting until the season is over to make the offer. On the other hand it might be that they simply don't have the money or don't want to commit the money which the Messi's are asking for.

Then there's the renovations to the Camp Nou and to the playing squad which need to be done. More and more commentators in Spain are saying that the work needed on the Barca squad is going to be expensive and wide ranging. They don't have a host of players coming through the B team who can make the step up, so they need to go out and buy top players. They are also in the position where the players they currently have were all honed in a very particular style of football, which although not obsolete now, is certainly something which needs to be evolved. Again they need new players to do this.

Because of the structure at Barca it's easy to find the figures which have been put forward for the stadium rebuild. The total cost is 600 million euros. When the figure was announced Barca also announced that 200 million euros would come from bank loans, 200 million from their own cash reserves, plus another 200 million in sponsorships/naming rights for the new stadium.

To put those figures into some context, Barca turned over around 500 millions euros last season and had operating costs of around 450 million euros, so they were profitable to the tune of 50 million. However they acknowledge that the profit is largely down to the sale of Thiago to Bayern. They have announced the transfer budget for this coming summer will be 60 million euros plus whatever they bring in from outgoing players.

So in short from a boardroom perspective, the sale of Messi at around 200 million euros would allow the club to rebuild the Nou Camp without the need for any bank loans. Of course there's huge downside because you lose the best player in the world and all the added marketing value he brings to the club. However plenty of people in Barcelona believe the purchase of Neymar was always about replacing Messi's worth on and off the field. Conversely giving Messi the contract he wants will mean shattering the amounts Ronaldo currently earns (500k per week gross), and saddling themselves with a liability of 100 million euros over five years PLUS the bonuses Jorge Messi will want for the renewal.

I'm not just saying this ... but if I were in Barca's shoes - I'd sell Messi this summer, rebuild the team, rebuild the stadium, and usher in a new era because the alternative might well be paying through the nose to keep Messi whilst having to neglect key areas of the squad which need serious surgery.

Think of the outraged media bile, it would be as funny as fuck

 

[bobmcfc]

It would be easy to just stay there and see out his days but then again he could ask himself if he has the stones to try something new and see if he's as good in a league that's very different to the one he's currently playing in

I think it's all going to come down to money. It was reported over the weekend that the deal which Messi's father has struck in his tax evasion case against the Spanish authorities will mean him having to pay somewhere around 30 million euros to them to avoid a criminal conviction which comes with mandatory jail time. I'm not saying that they don't have the money to pay the fines which have been levied, but that amount is enormous even for a world football star like Messi.

At the same time a new contract is being renegotiated with Barca and it's clear from the noises which have come from the current board that although they want to renew, they haven't for the moment come close to acquiescing to Messi's demands. It might well be a case of them simply waiting until the season is over to make the offer. On the other hand it might be that they simply don't have the money or don't want to commit the money which the Messi's are asking for.

Then there's the renovations to the Camp Nou and to the playing squad which need to be done. More and more commentators in Spain are saying that the work needed on the Barca squad is going to be expensive and wide ranging. They don't have a host of players coming through the B team who can make the step up, so they need to go out and buy top players. They are also in the position where the players they currently have were all honed in a very particular style of football, which although not obsolete now, is certainly something which needs to be evolved. Again they need new players to do this.

Because of the structure at Barca it's easy to find the figures which have been put forward for the stadium rebuild. The total cost is 600 million euros. When the figure was announced Barca also announced that 200 million euros would come from bank loans, 200 million from their own cash reserves, plus another 200 million in sponsorships/naming rights for the new stadium.

To put those figures into some context, Barca turned over around 500 millions euros last season and had operating costs of around 450 million euros, so they were profitable to the tune of 50 million. However they acknowledge that the profit is largely down to the sale of Thiago to Bayern. They have announced the transfer budget for this coming summer will be 60 million euros plus whatever they bring in from outgoing players.

So in short from a boardroom perspective, the sale of Messi at around 200 million euros would allow the club to rebuild the Nou Camp without the need for any bank loans. Of course there's huge downside because you lose the best player in the world and all the added marketing value he brings to the club. However plenty of people in Barcelona believe the purchase of Neymar was always about replacing Messi's worth on and off the field. Conversely giving Messi the contract he wants will mean shattering the amounts Ronaldo currently earns (500k per week gross), and saddling themselves with a liability of 100 million euros over five years PLUS the bonuses Jorge Messi will want for the renewal.

I'm not just saying this ... but if I were in Barca's shoes - I'd sell Messi this summer, rebuild the team, rebuild the stadium, and usher in a new era because the alternative might well be paying through the nose to keep Messi whilst having to neglect key areas of the squad which need serious surgery.

Everything you say makes sense from a financial perspective where Barcelona are concerned. It would be a huge deal for us, FFP is a concern and we'd have to tread very carefully and trim accordingly from the wage bill to balance any deal for him, we'd also have to turn the screws on the sponsors to get better deals if we pull a deal of this magnitude off, as I already feel we aren't getting fair value from the likes of Nike

 

[Chrisja1000]

I'm going to be highly controversial here, but is he the same player he was 18 months ago when he was nearly unplayable? I'm seen him recently and looks a shadow if that if I'm honest. He might not be fully fit or the problems behind the scenes could be affecting him?

 

[hihosilva]

I'm going to be highly controversial here, but is he the same player he was 18 months ago when he was nearly unplayable? I'm seen him recently and looks a shadow if that if I'm honest. He might not be fully fit or the problems behind the scenes could be affecting him?

I think you will see the real Messi during the World Cup

 

[Robinho's Subbuteo]

Why?

Because he'd cost at least 150 millions and we can't afford that on FFP basis.

Even if we can cover the whole cost (and possibly more) with extra sponsorships?

Signing Messi would practically fill the stadium expansion in a oner.

 

[SPIDERBOY]

Why?

Because he'd cost at least 150 millions and we can't afford that on FFP basis.

Even if we can cover the whole cost (and possibly more) with extra sponsorships?

Your banging your head against a brick wall mate.

 

[Mayor West]

I'm going to be highly controversial here, but is he the same player he was 18 months ago when he was nearly unplayable? I'm seen him recently and looks a shadow if that if I'm honest. He might not be fully fit or the problems behind the scenes could be affecting him?

he'd still be the best player in the premier league.