The combination of Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland can help Man City create a powerful empire like Barca of the previous decade. With Messi almost leaving PSG after the contract between the two sides expires at the end of June 2023, Leo’s potential landings become a hot topic.

Sources close to the superstar born in 1987 for more than two months have continuously affirmed that Messi still wants to play at the top level. Returning to his hometown of Argentina, going to the US or Saudi Arabia to play football is not Messi’s priority choice.

Therefore, Barca or Man City become the two most viable options for Leo if he wants to continue playing top football in Europe. At the moment, the Camp Nou team has an emotional advantage, but Man City has a better financial position.

If he returns to Barca, Messi will definitely have to reduce his salary. Spanish media said that Messi is unlikely to receive the same high level of remuneration as he did before he left Barcelona in the summer of 2021. Sport reported that Barca could only offer a two-year contract and pay Messi about 25 million. euros per year.

This number is much lower than the time before the Argentine superstar left the Camp Nou in the summer of 2021. At that time, Messi received 100 million euros before tax. According to L’Equipe, Messi earns more than 40 million euros per season at PSG. If the bonuses are combined, Messi earns nearly 65 million euros a year, or 1.3 million euros per week.

Nor does it exclude the possibility that Messi must reduce his salary further to help Barca. It should be remembered that coach Xavi’s team is still having problems with player registration. Except for the case that Barca liquidates a large number of players in the summer to reduce the salary fund, it will be difficult for the Catalan club to register Messi to meet the requirements from La Liga.

The financial situation of the Camp Nou team is quite bleak at the moment. The La Liga organizers are said to have asked Barca to release at least 200 million euros (including wages and player sales) to register new players for the 2023/24 season.

Are Messi and his family ready to sacrifice great financial benefits to return to Barca? It should be remembered that one of the problems that prevented Leo from reaching an agreement with PSG on the contract was the salary, when the French club wanted the 35-year-old superstar to reduce his salary.

Meanwhile, Man City has a great financial advantage. Since Messi will become a free agent this summer, if the English club want to own the player’s signature, they will reduce the transfer fee. Man City only has to pay salaries and bribes for players.

Unlike Barca, Man City is reaching its financial peak. Last November, Man City announced a record revenue of £ 613 million in the 2021/22 season, topping the top 10 highest-grossing teams in the world according to Deloitte’s calculations.

The financial strength of English clubs has been shown strongly in the past two years. And Man City is definitely the team with the best financial foundation in the current fog.

Spending about 30 or 40 million euros a year salary on Messi certainly cannot be a problem for the blue half of Manchester. Remember, Pep’s team is facing the opportunity to have a historic season, to win the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup treble.

If that happens, Man City’s revenue will certainly skyrocket compared to last season, enabling them to recruit more stars. Man City’s salary fund is currently second only in the Premier League, after Manchester United.

In terms of expertise, Man City has Pep, who understands Messi too well. Besides, the current Man City squad is also considered the most perfect since Pep came to the Etihad Stadium to work. With the appearance of Julian Alvarez or Erling Haaland in attack, Messi can comfortably play in midfield to save energy.

Besides, going to Man City also helps Messi full of opportunities to conquer the Champions League, the title has eluded him since 2015. The Etihad Stadium home team is considered the strongest club in the world, while Xavi’s Barca is still in the process. struggling to rebuild.

The move to the Premier League to play football also reinforces Messi’s greatness. If Leo has ever challenged himself in a new environment at PSG, why can’t he continue with Man City. Returning to Barca is not the best option for Messi right now, both financially and professionally.