Lionel Messi is not only the best player to ever play for Barcelona, he is probably the best player who has played football.
Thankfully, he spent his best years in Catalonia, helping Barcelona continue to be one of the biggest clubs in the world.
In 2021, the Argentine’s contract was set to end and unfortunately, the Blaugrana could not offer him a new deal due to financial fair play restraints.
However, Messi’s previous deal was one of the biggest sports contracts of all time, reportedly being worth over €555million.
Even though Leo was worth every penny, handing out that type of contract was arguably what started Barça’s financial downfall in recent years.
Fortunately, the World Cup winner deferred some of his wages that Barcelona owed him to help the club out with FFP, with the final payments set to end this year.
Due to this previous situation, AS, via Managing Barca, have reported that the Blaugrana board want to avoid a similar situation with current La Masia superstar Lamine Yamal.
The 17-year-old’s contract is set to expire in 2026 and whilst he has confirmed he wants to sign a new deal, Barça are suggesting a strategic approach to Yamal’s salary increase in order to avoid a financial crisis by handing out another Messi-type contract.
Whilst Yamal is one of the best players in the world, even at his young age, it would be a massive shock if he demands that type of salary anytime soon.
