Indulged in a race against time, FC Barcelona are fiercely battling the clock in order to present Lionel Messi the concretized offer his camp have demanded. For that to happen, La Liga’s viability plan must be approved as the delay to act upon the greenlight is the only thing standing between a reunion.
Considering Messi’s increased pressure and little willingness to wait much further, Joan Laporta has reportedly put the return of the Argentine World Cup winner as his number one priority once La Liga give their nod. Unlike earlier, the renewals of players like Araújo and Gavi are seen to be secondary priorities now.
According to SPORT, Messi will only come when Raphinha leaves. With time constraints, Barcelona are bound to act with haste as less time can be spent negotiating with La Liga. While emphasis is being laid on Leo’s return, sacrifices have to be made, which reportedly include the exit of Raphinha.
Raphinha enjoyed a fantastic season at Barcelona, coming in clutch with several notable goal contributions. Even so, he is simultaneously amassing great interest from foreign clubs, particularly some Premier League sides. Considering Messi’s 10-day ultimatum, the need to act urgently requires a big sale to be made as soon as possible.
Xavi and the board constantly reiterate that the ball fully lies in Messi’s court and that they will do everything to seal the homecoming of the former Barcelona legend. In a recent interview, Xavi said, “The comeback of Leo Messi only depends on him. I’d say that it depends 99% on Messi”.
However, the first proposal to comply with the demands of La Liga was not accepted and in the second there were still differences. As a consequence, the club understands that only Raphinha’s departure would allow a definitive consensus. On the one hand, they could amortize the part of their signing and, on the other, obtain the foundations for the return operation of the 7 time Ballon d’Or winner.
