Lionel Messi to Barcelona hits first stumbling block, Argentina star will have to take 75% cut from his last Barca wage
Lionel Messi will have to take a 75 per cent cut from his last Barcelona wage to facilitate a move back to Camp Nou.
The 2022 World Cup winner is heading for an acrimonious end to his stint at Paris Saint-Germain as the suspended player will not renew his contract with the Ligue 1 outfit.
Barcelona have made no secret about their desire to re-sign Messi but their financial situation is a major stumbling block.
According to Sport, the Catalan club is drawing up a contract for two years worth a quarter of his last salary at the club, which was around €100m gross in the 2020-21 season.
Moreover, the deal will also have a clause which would allow Messi to leave after one season with a €25m gross salary.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the 35-year-old has been offered a mammoth $300 million (€271.37m) per year to play in the Saudi Pro League by Al Hilal, which is more than 10 times what the Catalan outfit are offering to him.
Moreover, Inter Miami owner David Beckham recently met with Messi in Paris to convince the player to shift base to the United States.
Messi will be out of action for two weeks following a suspension due to an unsolicited trip to Saudi Arabia.
This will see him miss the next two PSG games, against Troyes and Ajaccio, but he should be in line to return for the fixture against Auxerre on May 21.
