Barça president Laporta: "We have payments pending with Messi until 2025"

The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, has reviewed the club's current affairs in an interview with 'La Vanguardia'. Laporta has explained the planning for the 2023-24 season and did not hesitate to talk about the 'Lionel Messi case'.

"I understand [why] Messi chose Miami," he said. "We had an agreement with LaLiga that we would dedicate part of the resources we have to Messi. It was included in the viability plan. We communicated that to Jorge Messi. He told me that Leo had had a very difficult year in Paris and that he wanted less pressure.

"With our option, he would have continued to be under pressure and I understood his decision. Good luck to him. From there, we started to prepare a massive homage for him. As part of the 125th anniversary, and when we return to the Camp Nou, would be the perfect time."

Laporta also acknowledged that money is still owed to the Argentine, which corresponds to the "deferral of his salary that was agreed with the previous board and that produces outstanding payments that end in 2025," adding that "he is paid religiously" and that "it is included in the [club's spending limit], but it is interpretable because "with the improvement of relations with LaLiga, the indemnities of other teams will not impact on financial fair play."

Ins and outs

Laporta believes Barça will reach an agreement with Tottenham for Clément Lenglet, who has been on loan there for the last season, and he is not forgetting Sergiño Dest either. Regarding Ansu Fati, though, he recommends him "to continue, he has to earn Xavi's trust and when he comes on he has to make a difference because he has the talent to do it."

He also recognises that the club has received offers for Christensen, Pedri, Gavi, Araujo, Ter Stegen, Ansu, Raphinha and Balde; but Barça "are not a selling club." In this equation, he did not mention Kessié, of whom he is "not formally aware" of an offer from Saudi Arabia, although "if he wants to leave, we will respect that, but he can be very useful for Barça."

After the departure of Sergio Busquets, Barça need to reinforce their squad with a top-level pivot. "Xavi understands the club's situation. He would like to strengthen the midfield, but he knows that some options are unfeasible. We would also be cutting short the progression of the youth team. We have Marc Casadó, Pau Prim, Gerard Hernández and Marc Bernal. First, we have to look in-house."

On one of the candidates, Oriol Romeu, he has avoided saying too much: "He has had a great year with Girona, he was in our youth academy. The technical secretariat is working on this type of option. We'll see."

Renewals

Asked about the status of Xavi Hernández's renewal as first team coach, Laporta commented: "He knows that the priority is to improve the team and the viability plan. Then there will be time to extend and improve his contract, he deserves it. He wants to continue and there will be no problem.

Regarding the renewal of Alexia Putellas, he said that "we are quite close to an agreement," while with Aitana Bonmatí, "she has more time on her contract and we haven't started the process yet."

One of the men who has gained the most weight in the sporting direction is Deco, although he has not yet been officially presented. "We will announce Deco's appointment in mid-July and he will take over the role of Txiki Begiristain in my first spell as president," Laporta said.