FC Barcelona Reportedly Reach Total Agreement To Sign Lionel Messi

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has closed a ‘total agreement’ to sign Lionel Messi, according to El Nacional.

The president, the club, and its fans are currently on a high after clinching their first La Liga trophy since 2019 at the weekend.

After the title was sealed by a 4-2 win away at crosstown rivals Espanyol, Laporta vowed to Jijantes FC that the Blaugrana “will do everything” to re-sign Messi whose Paris Saint Germain contract expires on June 30.

The Monday morning before the players and coaching staff went on a parade through Barcelona city center to greet Culers in an open top bus as newly-crowned champions, Laporta used an appearance on Catalan TV programme Els matins de TV3 to reveal that he has been in touch with Messi to sound out the potential return.

Now at Catalan newspaper El Nacional, they report that Messi is a priority for FC Barcelona and that an agreement with president Laporta is ‘total’.

This is supported by popular Barca media personality Jota Jordi using one of his regular appearances on El Chiringuito Monday night to report that Laporta has everything in order financially and with La Liga – for whom Messi’s return is also of great interest.

“If Messi wants, he will play for Barca,” Jordi emphatically stated, while also revealing how Laporta has met with the player’s father and agent Jorge in recent weeks and that Laporta has spoken to the seven-time Ballon d’Or holder on the telephone.

In turn, Jordi is debunking reports from Marcal Lorente on the same popular Spanish football programme at the turn of last week.

According to Lorente, Messi has accepted a €350 million ($381 million) per year proposal from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia alongside close friends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

By accepting the offer, if it is real, Messi would be immediately set up to top Forbes’ lists of the Highest-Paid Athletes and Soccer Players.

In the most recent edition of Forbes’ list of the World’s Highest-Paid Athletes, Cristiano Ronaldo – who now plays in Saudi Arabia at Al-Nassr – beat Messi with $136 million compared to the Argentine’s $130 million earnings.

Yet Jorge Messi has released a statement denying that any agreement is in place, as have Al-Hilal to Mundo Deportivo.

Ultimately then, according to El Nacional, Messi will say ‘no’ to Saudi Arabia and the MLS to become Barca’s Prodigal Son at the start of the 2023/2024 season on a much lower €25 million ($27 million) as reported by SPORT.