KEY POINTS

  • Barcelona could still sign Lionel Messi with the help of La Liga
  • La Liga president bared that Barca's Joan Laporta refused to renew Messi's contract
  • The Argentine's favorite destination is Ligue 1's Paris Saint-Germain

Barcelona might still have one shot at bringing back Lionel Messi.

The unthinkable had just turned into reality at Camp Nou as Messi officially departed Barcelona--the club he had played for over 20 years.

Barca insisted that due to the financial obstacles, renewing Messi’s contract was not viable.

However, La Liga president Javier Tebas revealed to La Vanguardia on Sunday that there was an offer presented to Barcelona last month which aims to aid the club’s financial woes.

According to Tebas, they had a “dinner” with Barcelona executives, including the club president Joan Laporta on “July 14.”

In the said meeting, Tebas and his representatives “discussed and delivered” the details of the “CVC agreement” to Barca.

To add context, the said agreement secured €2.7 billion ($3.18 billion) of investment into La Liga, “15 percent” of which could be used as a budget for signings and player salaries.

Hence, it would have given Barcelona an extra €40 million ($47.06 million), a figure that could be of great help in re-signing Messi, the report said.

At the time, Tebas bared that Barcelona had "abundant enthusiasm" towards renewing Messi’s contract. But Laporta’s sudden change in stance about the matter may have led to the collapse of the deal, and not the issues raised by the “Financial Fair Play,” the report added.

Contrary to what Tebas said, Laporta insisted in a press conference on Friday that Barcelona did everything they could to keep Messi. But the current financial status of the club and La Liga rules have led them to part ways as closing a deal was just “impossible.”

"Renewing Messi carried certain risks, but we cannot put the club at greater risk," Laporta told reporters, including CNN. "You have to put feelings aside, you have to look at numbers with a cold head. We wanted La Liga to be more flexible, but this is no excuse. We knew the rules and what we have been left with from the previous board makes it all impossible.”

"The club is above everything, even the best player in the world."

Messi, on the other hand, has already bid an emotional farewell in his press conference on Sunday. The Argentine was in tears while confirming his Barcelona departure, admitting he didn’t want to leave.

The 34-year-old has widely been linked to a sensational move to Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain, and the club is confident about securing a transfer deal soon.

A tearful Lionel Messi tells a press conference in Barcelona that joining French giants Paris Saint-Germain is a 'possibility'
A tearful Lionel Messi tells a press conference in Barcelona that joining French giants Paris Saint-Germain is a 'possibility' AFPTV / Adrian ADDISON