As a result of the club's financial mismanagement, Barcelona had to let Lionel Messi go for free in 2021, after almost two decades with the Blaugrana. There have been rumors of a special comeback for the Argentine to the Camp Nou ever since he departed, but according to his brother, such a move is no longer a possibility.
Messi's older brother, Matias, had a tirade against Barcelona. He even went ahead and called the Spanish side 'traitors', saying that they would help get rid of president Joan Laporta, who was in control of the team when the 35-year-old left that summer.
With the club's financial position still precarious, though, Matias Messi is the least of Barca's concerns at the moment. The club's officials still have a long way to go until they have fully fixed their situation, despite the fact that recent seasons have brought some improvement.
Which players would Barcelona be forced to get rid of this summer?
It has been reported by the Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo that La Liga president Javier Tebas has demanded that the Catalans reduce their overall pay spend by more than €200 million. The most direct method would be to sell off some of Xavi Hernandez's first-team players, but there are other options available to the club.
As Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto have just entered the last six months of their respective deals, their departures would be a big help in that sense. However, they may also have to cut ties with other high-earners if they want to achieve their goals.
That might lead to a move for a handful of players that English side, Manchester United have been eyeing for a while, including long-time target Frenkie de Jong, who turned down a transfer to Old Trafford last summer. It's been said that there is still a lot of interest in him, and Barcelona might be willing to sell in order to satisfy the salary requirements of La Liga.
At Old Trafford, he may have a teammate from his present squad to play with. Also linked to the Red Devils is the Spanish super-talented striker Ansu Fati, who might be available at age 20 due to his high salary and lack of guaranteed playing time under Blaugrana manager Xavi.
