Barcelona fears about Messi’s contract are on the rise
Could Lionel Messi really leave Barcelona?
Barcelona officials are keeping a brave face about the future of Lionel Messi, but they now have serious cause for concern. The diminutive Argentine is under 40 days away from having the ability to sign a pre-contract with any other club he might choose.
The Catalan giants announced that Messi had agreed to sign a new deal with the club back in July, but there have been no reports of a deal actually being signed since. If Messi doesn’t put pen to paper before January 1st, he’ll become the most coveted free transfer in the history of football.
The recent departure of Neymar has many people associated with the club terrified that Messi may follow suit. Admittedly, he has much more attachment to Barcelona than his former Brazilian teammate ever did. Messi’s brilliance has been synonymous with Barcelona football for years. The thought of seeing him in another kit is downright strange.
The most likely explanation for Messi’s failure to sign a new deal is that he’s holding out for more money. At the very least, Messi would like to see the club invest big money in the squad the same way that Real Madrid have in recent years. Barcelona may sit ten points ahead of Los Blancos in the La Liga table currently, but they know the arms race with their arch rivals won’t end anytime soon.
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No matter what Messi’s rationale, Barcelona have every right to be worried. Messi’s excellent play covers up a lot of holes in Ernesto Valverde’s squad. It’s hard to believe they’d be capable of hanging on to La Liga supremacy without their world-class talisman.
The commercial damage to the club might be even more significant. The value of Messi to the Barcelona brand is astronomical. Losing him would cost the club millions in kit sales and even more in corporate partnerships. It’s hard to believe Messi can be asking for more money in wages, or teammate investment than the club are able to recoup via a variety of business ventures.
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No matter how you slice it, it’s time for Barcelona to pay the cash necessary to keep Lionel Messi. Losing him could be a blow so severe it would take the club years to recover from. It’s simply not worth the risk for the Catalan giants.