Despite his salary already being at an astronomical level and weighing heavily on the club’s overall wage budget, Messi is set to pocket even more in the form of a huge cash windfall from the club\u00a0in bonuses regardless of whether he stays or not at the Nou Camp.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old Barca talisman’s future is dangling over the Nou Camp on a not-so-fine strand of gossamer thread and it looks likely he will be calling time on his career at the Nou Camp, setting his sights on more exciting pastures to further cement his legacy in the sport.<\/p>\n
Messi had himself admitted in December the club were in a “really bad situation” with “no money” to reinvest in the squad as Barcelona’s perilous financial situation was laid bare.<\/p>\n
Emili Roussaud, a long-shot candidate in the upcoming presidential election, had claimed that there was no way the club could sustain Messi’s current salary and Barcelona could not afford to pay him the same rate going forward.<\/p>\n
However, regardless of whether Messi remains at the club or not, they are still set to be badly hit in the pocket, according to Marca.<\/p>\n
As per the report based on details published by La Vanguardia, Marca claim Messi is in line to bank another \u20ac39million (\u00a334.8m) at the end of the current season, with the fee being one half of a \u20ac78m bonus agreed when Messi last renewed his Barca contract in 2017 (which included a \u20ac100m wage rise), with the Argentine having already cashed in the other \u20ac39m installment. But the agreement will see Messi receive it in eight separate payments over four years rather than the money coming in one lump sum, which means Barcelona could still be paying Messi in 2025.<\/p>\n
The Catalan’s talisman could of course yet stay at the club beyond the summer, and admitted a fortnight ago that he was happier now than he was when he slapped in his transfer request back in August.<\/p>\n
Man City and PSG remain the two sides most heavily linked with his signature should he move on, but Messi has said he will not make a final decision until the end of the campaign.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"