Barcelona legend Lionel Messi would have been unable to play for the La Liga club for free due to it being "legally impossible" under Spanish law.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner was prepared to take a staggering 50 per cent pay cut in a new Barcelona deal to remain at the Camp Nou for the long term.
However, Barcelona were unable to ink a new deal with Messi due to "Spanish La Liga regulations on player registration."
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During an emotional farewell press conference on Sunday, the 34-year-old Argentine forward admitted that he never asked for more money when signing a new contract.
"I offered to reduce my salary by 50 per cent, but they didn't ask me for anything else," he said.
"The news I asked for 30 per cent more is a lie, a lot of things people are saying are not true."
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Now, The Daily Mirror's Colin Millar has dismissed fans' claims that Messi could have played for Barcelona for free if he 'loved the club so much.'
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According to Millar, Spanish law requires any new contract to be a minimum of 50 per cent of a player's previous wage in a bid to "avoid financial manipulation."
He tweeted: "It would have been legally impossible for Lionel Messi to play for free at Barcelona.
"Any new contract is, by Spanish law, required to be a minimum of 50 per cent of previous wage (this is in place to avoid financial manipulation)."
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Barcelona's current debt reportedly stands at around a staggering £1bn (€1.2bn).
The Financial Times reports that Messi's wages tripled under former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and he earned more than €555m between 2017 and 2021.
Current Barcelona president Joan Laporta has also revealed that the Spanish club lost a whopping £412m (€487m) in the 2020-21 season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Messi is now set to complete a sensational free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain after the French club reportedly made a formal two-year contract offer.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Football, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Spain, La Liga