BARCELONA have pulled out all the stops to try and convince Lionel Messi to stay, according to reports.
The Catalan giants are said to have offered the Argentine a staggered pay packet, an ambassador role after he retires and the signing of Erling Haaland this summer.
Barca are in dire financial straits with the Nou Camp club said to be around £1BILLION in debt.
And as a result, they cannot offer Messi anywhere near the £2.4million-a-week salary he is currently getting.
Club chief Joan Laporta knows he cannot compete with the financial might of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain who are the favourites to sign the 33-year-old if he does leave Barca.
And as a result he has offered Messi a deal that would see his earnings start lower than what he currently earns but gradually increase throughout the duration of the new deal as the club’s finances improve, according to RAC1.
This would also see him transition into a role as a club ambassador when he decides to retire.
One of Messi’s main gripes when he submitted a transfer request last summer was the quality of Barca’s sporting project.
He was annoyed his mate Luis Suarez was forced out and allowed to join LaLiga rivals Atletico.
And he was generally underwhelmed by the squad’s chances of winning trophies.
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As a result, Catalan chiefs have assured the Argentine they will pull out all the stops to sign Haaland from Borussia Dortmund who they believe will transform the team’s fortunes.
Messi’s representatives insist they have not received an official offer from Barca yet.
But is understood an informal approach of this nature has been made and Messi’s agent and father Jorge is just waiting for it to be formalised.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
