Barcelona are reportedly looking at a major economic boost should Lionel Messi return to the club this summer, which is a publicly declared target for the Blaugrana.
The veteran World Cup-winner is a free agent this summer, and has been heavily linked with a departure from Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona are the only side that have been linked with him.
Sport say that the reasons for bringing him back are not only sporting and sentimental, but economic. While there are plenty of questions about how Barcelona can afford Messi, they say that the Blaugrana would earn around €230m from his arrival. They are basing this on an internal report from the club, and apportion €150m of that to increased sponsorship, and €80m to matchday revenue.
These claims do seem rather large looking at other figures. It may be that those are calculations are based on a proposed two-year contract, but even so, they seem large, especially where it can be more easily measured in matchday revenue.
Barcelona will move to Montjuic and play at the 56,000-seater Estadi Lluis Companys next season, reducing their capacity by around 40%. The following season they will return to Camp Nou, but initially at a reduced capacity, as renovations are completed next season.
Forbes say that stadium revenue was put at €114m for the 2021-22 season, and although attendances have risen considerably, they will obviously fall again with the drop in capacity. The €80m jump, even if averaged out over two seasons, would represent a 70% increase on their revenue from last season.
