Barcelona president Joan Laporta is beginning to come under pressure according to Diario AS. A pillar of his mandate, securing the renewal of Lionel Messi, is beginning to look uncertain, with sources in the club no longer as cool and composed as they had previously stated about retaining the Argentine.
Two major obstacles have emerged to make it difficult for Laporta to deliver on his promise. First is the salary cap imposed by La Liga; it gives Barcelona very little wiggle room regarding their wage bill, meaning they’re going to have to plead with the Argentine to take a financial hit if he’s to re-sign. To help with this, the club are trying their best to move out underperforming high-earners like Samuel Umtiti, Philippe Coutinho and the injured Ousmane Dembele.
Messi also wants guarantees to avoid losing out because of fiscal issues out of his control in the coming years, given Barcelona’s offer is a two-year extension that would see him continue to be paid while finishing his career in the United States. Laporta has been defiant publicly that negotiations are progressing, but has lacked any public vote of confidence from Messi himself.