Barcelona must pay their star player and club captain Lionel Messi a loyalty bonus of €39m at the end of the campaign, even if he decides not to renew his contract, report El Mundo.
Barcelona news is being dominated by the leaking of the Argentine’s contract with a detailed breakdown of the player’s salary and bonuses.
Read more: Lionel Messi preparing to take legal action against El Mundo over contract leak
The fresh report outlines how Messi must be paid a total of €38,964,977.50 by the club this summer, regardless of whether the Argentine pens a new deal.
Read more: Read more: Barcelona’s financial struggles: €820m of gross debt, €1.4billion of liabilities
It comes after the Messi news last summer that he would stay at the Camp Nou for this season, although he clarified that he was less than happy to be doing so, after threatening to leave the club on a free transfer in the close-season.
Read more: Barcelona on the verge of bankruptcy: €1,173m of debt, €730m in short-term
The news on Messi’s contract follows on from a report last month in El Mundo outlining the club’s alarming financial situation as they are now over €1billion in debt with €730m of that due in the short-term.
Whilst the club’s first-team squad has been slimmed down this year, with a reported €80m off the wage bill, there is still a worrying financial outlook for the club.
Interim club president Carlos Tusquets gave a wide-ranging interview to Catalan radio station RAC1, with quotes carried in full by Marca, claiming that the club were unable to pay players for their pre-agreed January salary.
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