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Barcelona's hopes of bringing Lionel Messi have reportedly been handed a major blow with two players refusing to lower their salaries.
As per Express Sport, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen were approached by the Blaugrana to reduce their wages. However, the two players, who joined Barcelona last summer having turned down several clubs in Europe, have refused.
The report claims that Barca face a monumental task if they have to bring Lionel Messi back to the club due to their ongoing financial struggles.
The Argentine superstar left the Catalan giants and joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the summer of 2021 after his contract expired at Camp Nou, with the club hit by a financial crisis.
The World Cup winner again looks set to depart PSG when his contract expires this summer after turning down an offer to extend his deal. It has been claimed that the French giants are now also looking to trim their squad as they also need to balance the books.
Reports of the Argentina international heading back to Barcelona have gained momentum in recent weeks but the deal looks quite complicated.
La Liga president Javier Tebas recently imposed strict financial controls on all 20 top-tier clubs, preventing them from spending beyond their means. Barca will reportedly have to trim their wage bill by £180 million by offloading a number of players.
Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen were reportedly approached by the La Liga leaders but both players have declined to reduce their salaries. The duo are also understood to be far from happy with the club and could both eying exits in the summer.
Barcelona are also believed to be looking to sell Raphinha, who was signed from Leeds United for £57 million last summer.
Barcelona in talks to open Lionel Messi museum to generate money to re-sign PSG superstar: Reports
Barcelona are reportedly prepared to do anything they can to generate money to re-sign Lionel Messi from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this summer. The Blaugrana are said to be eager to convert the old La Masia building into an interactive museum with Lionel Messi as the protagonist.
As per Diario AS, the Catalan giants are in talks with telecommunications giant Telefonica to sponsor the project, which will apparently be a global benchmark in the latest technologies. They plan to call it 'Messi Space' and are expecting it to become a perennial revenue stream with thousands of potential tourists turning up for the experience.
The Blaugrana are looking to fund the return of Messi to his boyhood club whichever way they can. They are also said to be planning to give the PSG superstar a share of the earnings his potential return to Catalonia will generate for the club.
