Lionel Messi could be blocked from playing for Barcelona until January because of the club’s dire financial predicament.
Though Messi is currently a free agent after his deal at the Nou Camp expired on June 30, he is reported to have agreed a new five-year contract that will see him take a 50 per cent pay cut.
But in order to register the new deal for Messi, Barca need to iron out their finances and make significant reductions to their wage bill, as per ESPN.
The Catalans are looking for ways to reduce their wage bill, to align with LaLiga’s financial fair play rules.
If they can’t, they risk not being able to register Messi’s new contract or new arrivals, Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal.
Barca have until the end of the transfer window on August 31 to submit Messi’s deal and their new signings to LaLiga, but internally, the club wants everything resolved before August 15, when they kick off their league campaign at home to Real Sociedad.
The League president, Javier Tebas, is adamant he will not relax the rules for Barcelona.
A failure to get their finances in order could see Messi, if he signs the five-year deal he has already agreed, unable to play until at least January, as happened with Getafe midfielder, Pedro Leon in 2014.