"Barcelona are not like PSG who have a gas and money tap" - Javier Tebas takes brutal dig while discussing Lionel Messi's potential transfer
La Liga president Javier Tebas has taken a dig at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) while addressing the potential return of Lionel Messi to Barcelona. Messi's future has been the talk of the town recently as his PSG contract expires this summer.
It has been claimed that the Argentine is ready to part ways with the Ligue 1 giants and could be on his way back to Barcelona. However, La Liga president Javier Tebas has claimed that Lionel Messi's potential return to Camp Nou is pretty complicated.
He has also insisted that the Blaugrana need to reduce their wage bill and get rid of several players if they have to facilitate the superstar's return. Tebas told RMC Sport (as quoted by Barca Universal):
"If you ask me the question today, Messi’s return to Barça is very complicated. We have to see how that will evolve but several conditions would have to be met, Barça players would have to leave, there would have to be a reduction in wages. And then you have to know what salary Messi would have at Barça."
The La Liga supremo also took a brutal dig at PSG, claiming Barcelona are not a club like the French giants who are backed by a never-ending supply of oil money. He added:
“Barça are not like PSG, who have a gas and money tap that allows them to have a large payroll. As we speak, it’s complicated for Messi to return to Barça."
It has been claimed that Barcelona need to reduce their wage bill by almost €200 million in the summer to comply with La Liga's financial regulations.
The Catalan giants are ready to take several cost-cutting measures to not only bring Lionel Messi back to the club but also register new contracts of players like Gavi and Ronald Araujo.
They have already sent in their economic viability plan to La Liga board members and are confident that they will receive the green light.
PSG superstar Lionel Messi accused of leaving Barcelona for money by Jerome Rothen
Former PSG winger Jerome Rothen has taken shots at Lionel Messi and claimed that the Argentine came to Ligue 1 just for money.
The former France international has also insisted that the only reason Messi left Barcelona was because they could not afford to pay what he wanted.
The Argentine maestro joined PSG in the summer of 2021 after Barca could not offer him a new deal due to their financial struggles.
Speaking on RMC Sports, Rothen claimed that Lionel Messi now wants to leave PSG after making money and does not care at all about the club. He said:
"I have no words. It's completely out of place. That's how much he doesn't give a damn about the world since he arrived. He didn't come for the right reasons, he only came for the financial conditions. In Barcelona, we know very well why he left. They could no longer pay him the way they paid him. There was such a huge deficit that they had to part with it."
He endured a difficult debut season at the Parc des Princes but has been at his absolute best this season for the Parisians.
The World Cup winner has scored 20 goals and provided 19 assists in 36 games across competitions this season.