Barcelona star could be sacrificed to make room for Lionel Messi

Barcelona could offload star forward Antoine Griezmann to free up their wage budget to fund Lionel Messi’s new contract, according to French outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness).

The Blaugrana are currently in a financial mess. Due to their delay in offering Lionel Messi a new deal, their star asset is currently a free agent. One way to afford the Argentine’s astronomical contract is for Barcelona to sell some of the fringe players who are on high wages.

The Catalan giants also asked several of their stars to lower their wages but that reportedly did not go down well with the squad. Barcelona are looking to offload many of their high-earners with Griezmann the most vulnerable option at the moment.

According to the aforementioned source, the Blaugrana are willing to listen to offers for Griezmann and won’t hesitate in selling the Frenchman at the right price. Barcelona have already signed Sergio Agüero and Memphis Depay as attacking options to partner Messi.

Manchester City are currently interested in signing Antoine Griezmann, as Pep Guardiola looks to find a replacement for Agüero. The Premier League champions are in pole position to sign Harry Kane but Spurs’ asking price has cooled down their pursuit.

Antoine Griezmann could be a cheaper alternative to Kane, with Guardiola personally calling the French international and appreciating his gameplay.

Also Read: Fabrizio Romano’s Transfer Roundup: Manchester United pushing for 2 more transfers, Barcelona’s plans for Lionel Messi and more

Lionel Messi wants a new two-year deal at Barcelona

Lionel Messi is keen to stay at Barcelona and wants a new two-year deal which will keep him at the Nou Camp until the summer of 2023. The delay in offering Messi a new deal is due to the fixing of some of the clauses in the contract, as reported by Fabrizio Romano last month.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is pretty confident that Messi will be playing for the La Liga giants for another two seasons.

Earlier in the summer, it was reported that Lionel Messi would be keen to play in the MLS once his Barcelona contract expires in 2023. The 33-year-old forward has also expressed his desire to return to Barcelona as a board member once he hangs up his boots.

Also Read: Paul Merson’s column – Italy vs England: 5 key battles | Euro 2020 final

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