Barcelona Interim President Says Club Should Have Sold Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi should have been sold last summer to help with the club's current financial issues, that's according to current interim president Carlos Tusquets.

After Barca were dumped out of the Champions League in embarrassing fashion by Bayern Munich in August, Messi revealed he wanted to leave the Nou Camp.

The six time Ballon d'Or winner tried to leave on a free but the club stopped him and La Liga agreed his clause to end his contract wasn't valid, which stopped a potential move to Manchester City.

Messi decided to stay until the end of his contract, in summer 2021, when he will be able to leave for nothing.

Tusquets, who took over the presidency in October after Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned, reckons that the club should have cashed in already.

"Economically speaking, I would've sold Messi in the summer window," he told RAC1 radio station.

"Both in terms of what you save on the wage bill as well as the money you make, it would've been desirable. But this is something the coaching staff have to consent to and that's not my place.

"La Liga are setting salary limits at the moment and this would've helped on that front."

Lionel Messi picks up a hefty sum. Image: PA Images

Barca are well known to have been struggling financially and the 33-year-old earns a reported €500,000-a-week.

Covid-19 has hurt the Catalan giants as it has with many other clubs and they've had trouble agreeing a deal to cut the players' wages.

They finally came to an agreement last week, with the club trying to save £109 million, and selling Messi would obviously help a lot.

Whilst Tusquets would get rid of the Argentina star it won't actually be up to him with the club set to old elections in January, and it's unlikely either of the potential incumbents will want to get rid of the club's all time top scorer.

One candidate is even ready to rename the club's Camp Nou stadium in honour of the captain, by calling it the 'Camp Nou Leo Messi.'

Topics: Manchester City, Football News, Barcelona, Transfer stories, Lionel Messi, Transfer rumours, Transfer gossip, Transfer news, La Liga

Ryan Sidle

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