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LONDON. — Lionel Messi’s enormous salary means a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer is ‘’impossible,’’ while a move to Manchester City could also have to pass Financial Fair Play rules.
The Barcelona captain could leave on a free transfer, if he wins a legal battle to activate a clause in his contract that would allow him to walk away for no fee.
However, Barcelona claim that clause expired in June, meaning he or his new employers could have to pay his £630million release clause.
Super-rich PSG, who are effectively owned by the Qatari state, are one of Europe’s heavyweight clubs on high-alert to move for the Argentinian superstar, who is regarded by many as the best player of all-time.
But, according to French daily sports newspaper, L’Equippe, Messi’s £64m-a-year basic wages means the Ligue 1 champions cannot afford to sign him this summer, even on a free transfer.
Thomas Tuchel’s side already have attacking stars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, who earn less money in a year, combined to what Messi gets.
Neymar, who joined PSG from Barcelona in a world-record £198m transfer in 2017, earns around £33m per year while Mbappe earns around £19m.
In reality, Messi earns even more per year than his £64m basic wage.
Messi’s fixed salary totals £64m (€71m) but bonuses for signing, for staying, and for winning trophies takes the figure well above that.
Just by playing 60 percent of games, until the 2021 date his contract ends, sees Messi earn on average £95m (€106m) a season but the potential – if he were to win the treble and win FIFA’s Player of the Year award – exists to push the final figure over the £110m (€122m) mark.
The report says that the coronavirus pandemic, and lack of fans in behind-closed-door matches, means PSG are in the red-zone in terms of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, despite being owned by Qatar Sports Investments.
The club’s run to the Champions League final this month has eased financial concerns, but the club are been forced to release key stars Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani, on free transfers, due to their high wages.
Overall, PSG are understood to have made a £107m loss in the 2019-20 season, with these financial issues set to continue into the 2020-21 season, as the French government has placed a 5,000 supporter limit on matches for next term.
Other clubs linked to Messi this summer include City, who are managed by the superstar’s former coach at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola.
Inter Milan are also understood to be keen on signing Messi and were linked to making a move for him even before the player’s row with Barcelona became public knowledge.
Messi has scored 634 career goals in 731 matches for Barcelona, the club he has played for his entire career and has won six Ballon d’Or trophies.
City could sign Messi, while he is still in dispute with Barca, but they would risk being hit with sanctions and a possible £629million (€700m) bill if FIFA ended up ruling in the Spanish club’s favour.
If City believe Messi is right they could get a provisional international transfer certificate from FIFA and register him to play this coming season.
If FIFA decide Messi was right about being a free agent, then City would be in the clear.
But, if FIFA rule that Barcelona were right, then City could be liable for Messi’s massive release clause and face possible sanctions.
The last contract that Messi signed in 2017 allowed him to leave on a free at the end of every season providing he provided notice of his intention to do so in the first 10 days of June.
When there was no news from Messi during the first 10 days of June this year the club took it that the deadline had passed and he was now tied to another year at the club.
But Messi has a different interpretation. If his contract allows him to leave on a free at the end of every season, and this season did not end until August, then he believes he can go for nothing now, providing he informs the club – which he did do by sending the burofax on Tuesday.
FIFA will only get involved in the event of a transfer between national federations so Messi could resolve things in Spain by going to an employment tribunal where a judge would decide how much, if anything, he should pay to get himself out of his contract.
This process would be lengthy and would not enable City to register Messi before the October deadline.
A third option is that Barcelona could negotiate a settlement with the player, or with a buying club, without going through the courts. This would involve Messi buying himself out of his final year or City stumping up a transfer fee.
Barcelona have briefed that Messi will only be allowed to leave if someone breaks the transfer world record set by Neymar’s £198m move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu’s rivals are maneuvering to force a vote of no confidence and immediate elections but that process is complicated in times of a pandemic.
They will need to gather signatures from 15 percent of the membership. — Mailonline.
Online Reporter