MONEY is not the motive behind Lionel Messi’s decision to quit Barcelona.
The Nou Camp icon has handed in his transfer request to leave the club for free.
Lionel Messi lives a life of luxury with wife Antonela RoccuzzoCredit: Reuters
Manchester City are ready to go all out for the 33-year-old this summer – and believe they can afford him.
SunSport have pulled together as much information as possible about Messi’s earnings in Spain too see if City can match it.
How much does Messi earn at Barcelona?
Forbes claim the 33-year-old earns a salary of £54m at the Nou Camp.
Messi also rakes in around £24million each year from endorsements and sponsorship deals.
This means he could see his bank balance rise by around £78m PER year.
Football Leaks claim he pockets a further £13m in bonuses with Barcelona.
According to Forbes, Messi is the fifth highest-paid celebrity in the world.
Surprisingly, he is not the richest footballer on the list.
Lionel Messi is arguably the best football player on the planetCredit: Reuters
Arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo is in fourth with a yearly wage of £80million.
Tennis star Roger Federer, Kanye West and Kylie Jenner are also ahead ofh im.
What is Messi’s net worth?
The Argentine’s net worth is believed to be close to £309m ($400m).
Messi has seen his wealth rocket since he became the highest-paid La Lig player in 2017.
He agreed to new terms as he committed himself to the Catalan club until 2012.
Before signing the deal, he was believed to earn round £336,000-per-week.
What deals does Messi have?
The 33-year-old has a lifelong sponsorship deal with Adidas.
This is reportedly worth £9million-per-year to the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Lionel Messi pictured an Adidas event in ChinaCredit: Reuters
Messi is also sponsored by Gatorade, Huawei, Mastercard and Pepsi.
Barcelona’s talisman has also been part of campaigns for Gillette and Turkish Airlines.
As a result of his hard work, Messi owns a stunning £5.5million mansion and a £26m hotel.
Watch as furious Barcelona fans break into Nou Camp in support of Lionel Messi and demand president Bartomeu resign
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
