La Liga chief hands Barca €100m warning with Messi set to become free agent

La Liga president Javier Tebas has offered an eye opening warning to Barcelona, outlining their huge financial problems.

The Catalan giants have already brought in free signings in the shape of Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Memphis Depay as they look to bounce back from a disappointing first season under Ronald Koeman.

But their financial woes run deep and with their debts believed to be close to the €1bn mark, newly elected president Joan Laporta has been given the very difficult task of reducing costs.

They were one of the founding members of the now doomed European Super League, with their La Liga rivals Real Madrid also hoping for the financial relief that tournament could have provided.

La Liga chief Javier Tebas has opened up on the financial situation Barca find themselves in ( Image:

DAVID FERNANDEZ/EPA-EFE/REX)

However, with those plans now up in smoke, Barca know they must be creative in order to navigate some very tricky waters.

Tebas has explained the "special procedure" the Blaugrana will fall under next season, due to the fact they are over the league's wage cap.

Barca are currently 40% above the threshold and that is before Lionel Messi's salary is tacked on for the next two seasons.

The Argentinian remains locked in negotiations over a new deal at the Camp Nou as he is set to become a free agent.

Messi's current deal expires at the end of this month and although the parties are close to an agreement, an official confirmation has yet to be announced.

It is expected he will sign a new two-year deal, a contract will only exacerbate their salary cap issues.

Lionel Messi is closing in on a new deal at the Nou Camp

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Tebas explained La Liga's financial rules to El Transistor via Football Espana: "We have a special procedure for when a club goes over its salary established by La Liga, where clubs can only include players who represent 25% of the savings.

"If Barca sell a player for €100million, they can only spend €25million.

"If Barca receives €10million on a sale, they can only spend €2.5million on a new signing.

"If Barcelona want to bring in a player who costs them €25million per season in salary, they must earn, either by transfer or by a salary reduction, €100 million."

The likes of Phillipe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele have both been linked with exits and Tebas has confirmed that Barca must reduce their current wage outlay.

He added: "They have to reduce salaries in the squad considerably or produce fees from sold players.

"Publically, I cannot tell of the plan Barcelona have.

"They know that if they don't sell an important player of the current squad that they have players with contracts in force that they cannot include."

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