• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Barcelona will try and sell FIVE first-team stars to generate funds for Lionel Messi

Home> Football

Published 15:07 6 May 2023 GMT+1

Barcelona will try and sell FIVE first-team stars to generate funds for Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi appears set to leave Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar

Barcelona will look to sell FIVE first-team players in order to facilitate a blockbuster move for Lionel Messi this summer.

Messi's two-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain appears set to come to an end this summer.

He left the Catalan giants to sign for PSG in 2021, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Advert

Barca are thought to be very keen on re-signing their former player, with club president Joan Laporta hellbent on luring the 35-year-old back to Spain.

In an effort to generate funds for Messi, the La Liga giants will try and sell FIVE first-team stars.

Lionel Messi during his Barcelona days. Image: Alamy
Lionel Messi during his Barcelona days. Image: Alamy

That's according to Mundo Deportivo, who claim Barca will look to offload Erik Garcia, Marcos Alonso, Franck Kessie, Raphinha and Ferran Torres.

Advert

The potential sale of the five players could be key in order to facilitate a transfer for the Argentine forward.

Raphinha, who joined the Camp Nou outfit from Leeds United, has been the subject of intense transfer speculation, with Arsenal and Newcastle United thought to be interested in acquiring his services.

Ex-Man City forward Torres has also been linked with a switch back to the Premier League as Aston Villa monitor his situation ahead of the transfer window reopening.

Garcia, Alonso and Kessie are believed to be on the chopping block, too.

Messi, of course, enjoyed an iconic spell at Barca before his transfer to PSG. He won a staggering 10 La Liga titles and the prestigious Champions League on four occasions.

Barca want him back for the 2023/24 campaign as they're prepared to axe five players to engineer a move for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Advert

Meanwhile, Messi has landed himself in hot water with PSG following his unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia.

He was subsequently suspended by PSG for two weeks, with the World Cup winner apologising for his actions.

"First of all, I want to apologise to my team-mates and the club. Honestly, I thought we were going to have a day off after the game like we did in previous weeks," he said.

"I had this trip organised, which I had cancelled already. I could not cancel it again. I repeat, I want to say sorry for what I did. I am waiting to hear what the club want to do with me."

Advert

Messi to Barca? Watch this space.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Lionel Messi, Football, Barcelona

Nasir Jabbar
Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

X

@NasJabbar

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

17 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • Getty
    17 mins ago

    Arne Slot Says He Could Sell Liverpool Star ‘Tomorrow’ for £100m

    Liverpool boss Arne Slot heaped special praise on one of his key players.

    Football
  • Getty
    an hour ago

    Jose Mourinho’s First Benfica Transfer May Have Already Been 'Decided’

    Jose Mourinho is set to take the reins at Benfica and could end up with a first major signing back in Lisbon.

    Football
  • Getty
    2 hours ago

    UEFA Hits Crystal Palace With Fresh Sanction After Europa League Demotion

    Crystal Palace have been punished again by UEFA.

    Football
  • Getty
    2 hours ago

    Robbie Savage Bypasses Rule by Making Four Substitutions in First Minute

    Robbie Savage got around the strict rule with a quartet of Forest Green substitutions in the National League Cup.

    Football
  • The strict rules Lionel Messi's wife Antonela Roccuzzo has to follow in Saudi Arabia
  • The 'Lionel Messi rule' all Barcelona players were made to follow in training
  • PSG ultras chant 'Lionel Messi, son of a b***h' outside club's HQ
  • Neymar's liked social media posts make for interesting reading after PSG fans storm his house