Barcelona Summer 2021 - It's all getting a bit Messi (again) - also featuring Neymar

GLaDOS

No idea if the source is any good, but this thread is mental if true

https://twitter.com/ZachLowy/status/1412143891302780930?s=19

TitianGerm

GLaDOS wrote: »

No idea if the source is any good, but this thread is mental if true

https://twitter.com/ZachLowy/status/1412143891302780930?s=19

Messi is out of contract so surely his wage frees up enough space for the moment?

GLaDOS

TitianGerm wrote: »

Messi is out of contract so surely his wage frees up enough space for the moment?

Yeah that's true. I suppose the issue is if Messi stays they need to keep a substantial chunk of the budget for it. Until that's resolved they're ina bit of a limbo.

Fitz*

Barca are in some serious trouble there.

Wonder will many of the super rich clubs try and poach some players like Ter Stegen, De Jong or Dest on the cheap? Coutinho a potential bargain too if a club can take his wages.

That Neymar transfer has had some serious impact on Barca.

Mitch Connor

TitianGerm wrote: »

Messi is out of contract so surely his wage frees up enough space for the moment?

If Messi is out of contract and they still can't register then it means it wasn't enough.

Mitch Connor

Fitz* wrote: »

Barca are in some serious trouble there.

Wonder will many of the super rich clubs try and poach some players like Ter Stegen, De Jong or Dest on the cheap? Coutinho a potential bargain too if a club can take his wages.

That Neymar transfer has had some serious impact on Barca.

Purely cause they reacted psychology poorly.

Look at them over paying for countinho to make up for osg bullying them, and compare how Liverpool reacted to countinho leaving.

Cookiemunster

There's a reason that Pjanic and Umtiti are runoured to being released with multiple years left on their contracts.

rob316

LoL they need 200m off their wage bill. Wages currently 110% of income.

Horrible club, acted like billy big balls for years bullying clubs into selling their players. Since psg took Neymar from them they have self destructed.

retalivity

Never heard of a salary cap in Spain before, is that new?

Fitz*

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Purely cause they reacted psychology poorly.

Look at them over paying for countinho to make up for osg bullying them, and compare how Liverpool reacted to countinho leaving.

When the bully gets bullied. For so long they pulled stunts in order to sign players, and then it happened to them and they didn't know what to do. Can't say I have too much sympathy tbh.

GLaDOS

Replies to the thread I posted suggest that they're still over the limit with Messi's salary gone, which is bonkers

This is it

So they won't get Messi to stay or those new players... I know they'll find money somewhere but hard to see them find enough for all the players

HalloweenJack

From what I've read on AS, as Messi is not currently contracted to Barca, he would count as a new signing.

They are looking to have Busquets, Alba and Sergi Roberto agree to lower their wages, something Pique has already done but Sergi Roberto seems to refuse to do while the other haven't entered negotiations yet.

They are trying to sell Braithwaite and Neto but they're not going to cover the money needed. Dembele, Griezmann and Lenglet could also be sold.

Really is coming back to bite them in the arse that they sold themselves out to hold on to Messi.

CSF

HalloweenJack wrote: »

From what I've read on AS, as Messi is not currently contracted to Barca, he would count as a new signing.

They are looking to have Busquets, Alba and Sergi Roberto agree to lower their wages, something Pique has already done but Sergi Roberto seems to refuse to do while the other haven't entered negotiations yet.

They are trying to sell Braithwaite and Neto but they're not going to cover the money needed. Dembele, Griezmann and Lenglet could also be sold.

Really is coming back to bite them in the arse that they sold themselves out to hold on to Messi.

Adding Depay and Aguero to a frontline that would already have included Messi, Griezmann, Fati and Dembele probably wasn’t the best idea either.

I’d imagine Griezmann will be the one to go, but eh with this coming out they will not be dealing from a position of strength in any negotiations.

Fromvert

Can't see them shifting Griezmann without paying him off with no money, he's on something absurd like £700k a week. Which just seems mad, who was offering him half of that when they where signing him. His agent must have been negotiating with the Spanish Peter Ridsdale.

Umtiti apparently on €20m a year if that guy is correct, what the ****. No wonder he said no thanks to having his contract terminated! He'd be lucky to get that over 4 years elsewhere.

But I think most can enjoy a good laugh at Barca :pac:

CSF

Fromvert wrote: »

Can't see them shifting Griezmann without paying him off with no money, he's on something absurd like £700k a week. Which just seems mad, who was offering him half of that when they where signing him. His agent must have been negotiating with the Spanish Peter Ridsdale.

Umtiti apparently on €20m a year if that guy is correct, what the ****. No wonder he said no thanks to having his contract terminated! He'd be lucky to get that over 4 years elsewhere.

But I think most can enjoy a good laugh at Barca :pac:

Griezmann hasn’t been a raging success there, so given the guys they’ve just brought in, they may be willing to give him a bit of a payoff. They clearly don’t need all of Messi, Aguero, Depay, Griezmann, Dembele, Fati. Insane attacking depth for a team struggling to meet financial requirements.

gimli2112

it's like they are trying to put out a fire using fire

Did you smash it

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Really is coming back to bite them in the arse that they sold themselves out to hold on to Messi.

Losing Neymar is what barca have never recovered from.

HalloweenJack

Did you smash it wrote: »

Losing Neymar is what barca have never recovered from.

It's a factor certainly as they got fleeced signing players in the aftermath.

However, the amount they pay Messi hasn't helped. He may be the greatest player ever but he has cost them so much money over the years. According to Wikipedia, Barca were the first sports team to have an average yearly wage of $10m per for first-team players.

The focus on Messi meant that other parts of the team have been left wanting and even he can't carry them to glory when he doesn't have the support. Selling Suarez last year (whose 21 goals won Atleti the league) was one idiotic decision as a result of the internal battle with Messi. Though Messi's still at an incredible level, he isn't getting any younger and he simply can't go on forever. Most importantly, he can't do it all. This rebuild would be a lot easier if they'd got rid of him last year.

Naming rights for the stadium could be another option. The traditionalists won't like it but it couldn't be worse than having Qatar sponsor their shirts.

rob316

€20m a year on Umtiti? :eek: They actually deserve everything they get

dinorebel

Dembele refusing to leave till next year when his contract is up has to sting a little.

Mitch Connor

Griezman on 800k a week??? Messi's contract is insane, but bloomin' hell - that is astonishing money for Greizman, and I thought United were insane with their contracts (and they are)

martyos121

The whole "More than a club" spiel makes a lot more sense now.

They were clearly referring to their wage bill. Delighted to see them in such bother.

Did you smash it

martyos121 wrote: »

The whole "More than a club" spiel makes a lot more sense now.

They were clearly referring to their wage bill. Delighted to see them in such bother.

Why delighted? You prefer the Arab oil money bankrolling Trojan sport washing enterprises model?

Barca are a great club, play great football, have a great stadium and a great history and identity. Like Liverpool, AC Milan, Man utd, Bayern Munich.

Teams like Barca are what make football great.

Pete Moss

Did you smash it wrote:

Teams like Barca are what make football great.

*Clubs like Barca.

This Barca 'team' does not make football great. The entire 'team' at the club currently, from players to the boardroom, make for a great lesson in how not to manage finances, little else.

loyatemu

Did you smash it wrote: »

Why delighted? You prefer the Arab oil money bankrolling Trojan sport washing enterprises model?

Barca are a great club, play great football, have a great stadium and a great history and identity. Like Liverpool, AC Milan, Man utd, Bayern Munich.

Teams like Barca are what make football great.

you're right, but at the end of the day the fans elect the President who makes the financial decisions. They can't even blame unscrupulous owners for their predicament - they are the owners.

adaminho

I wonder will Griezman end up like Bobby Bonilla?

From 1992 to 1994, Bonilla was the highest-paid player in the league, earning more than $6 million per year. Since 2011, Bonilla has been paid approximately $1.19 million by the New York Mets each year and he will receive that same amount every year until July 1, 2035. Some fans refer to these payments on July 1 as "Bobby Bonilla Day".[2][3] This was part of a deal made when the Mets released Bonilla before the 2000 season while still owing him $5.9 million for the final year of his contract. The deal expires in 2035, at which point Bonilla will have been paid $29.8 million for a season in which he did not even play for the Mets.[4] Bonilla also has a second deferred-contract plan with the Mets and Baltimore Orioles that was initiated in 2004 and pays him $500,000 a year for 25 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Bonilla
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31732959/bobby-bonilla-day-explained-why-mets-pay-119m-today-every-july-1

martyos121

Did you smash it wrote:

Why delighted? You prefer the Arab oil money bankrolling Trojan sport washing enterprises model?

Yes, the fact that I'm delighted to see Barcelona falling foul of their own egotistical, self-absorbed operating model at the club automatically means I have great love and respect for oil rich clubs.

What a ludicrous reach that is. One can dislike Barcelona and also dislike Man City and PSG, for different reasons. Your post is like asking someone why they like apples if they tell you they don't like oranges, and it's utter nonsense tbh.

And do you think I'm the only one feeling some schadenfreude for Barca here? I'm not even the only one on this forum, far from it in fact.

Did you smash it

martyos121 wrote: »

Yes, the fact that I'm delighted to see Barcelona falling foul of their own egotistical, self-absorbed operating model at the club automatically means I have great love and respect for oil rich clubs.

What a ludicrous reach that is. One can dislike Barcelona and also dislike Man City and PSG, for different reasons. Your post is like asking someone why they like apples if they tell you they don't like oranges, and it's utter nonsense tbh.

And do you think I'm the only one feeling some schadenfreude for Barca here? I'm not even the only one on this forum, far from it in fact.

Why do you think Barca are egotistical and self absorbed more than say a club that you do like? What big clubs do you think are humble and don’t throw their weight around?

HalloweenJack

Did you smash it wrote: »

Why delighted? You prefer the Arab oil money bankrolling Trojan sport washing enterprises model?

Barca are a great club, play great football, have a great stadium and a great history and identity. Like Liverpool, AC Milan, Man utd, Bayern Munich.

Teams like Barca are what make football great.

I have no sympathy for any club that splashes out ridiculous amounts and then gets caught with their pants down. It is a shame that a club with such history is struggling to balance the books but they have been at the top of the game when there has been more money than ever and they've squandered it.

We have had more than a year of Covid. Clubs can no longer be ignorant of their respective financial states and the current uncertainty. Barca's current situation is entirely their own making and a result of kicking the can down the road and their bruised egos. They could have gotten rid of Messi last year and saved a fortune but they didn't and now they're paying the price.

Did you smash it

I would repeat that Barca”s troubles are mainly down to allowing Neymar to leave. A player they haven’t replaced because he was irreplaceable. They agreed a transfer release clause too low in his contract.

If Messi was sold last season; fine. But they would have had the same problem of replacing an irreplaceable player. Sell Messi last summer and I’m not sure they’d be in the champions league this season.

Shanotheslayer

HalloweenJack wrote: »

He may be the greatest player ever but he has cost them so much money over the years. According to Wikipedia, Barca were the first sports team to have an average yearly wage of $10m per for first-team players.

'Cost' seems like an incorrect word to use here. Considering how much money they would have got because of Jersey sales, casual ticket sales, etc etc. On top of that the trophies and the hype he's brought to them over the years.

I would agree that the effect of Messi probably meant that other players wanted higher salaries etc that and then caused issues.

martyos121

Did you smash it wrote: »

Why do you think Barca are egotistical and self absorbed more than say a club that you do like? What big clubs do you think are humble and don’t throw their weight around?

What HJ said, couldn't have put it better myself. Care to address the points I made to you in my last reply or will you just move the goalposts again?

Cookiemunster

loyatemu wrote: »

you're right, but at the end of the day the fans elect the President who makes the financial decisions. They can't even blame unscrupulous owners for their predicament - they are the owners.

Which is why the previous president Bartomeu was forced to resign and an early election was called. The 'owners' were not happy with the way the club was being run and forced change.

Did you smash it

martyos121 wrote: »

What HJ said, couldn't have put it better myself. Care to address the points I made to you in my last reply or will you just move the goalposts again?

I addressed you point on egotistical and self absorbed. I asked could you nominate the big clubs that are humble and don’t throw their weight around.

As for relishing the schadefreunden. I don’t really care about relishing Bartomeu being made look like an eejit which is all that really happened. If people take joy from bartomeu being voted in and being a disaster, well ok...whatever floats your boat.

Seems strange as the Superleague furore was meant to mean we wanted greater fan involvement. Now we are relishing it when it goes wrong

ThunbergsAreGo

Did you smash it wrote: »

Why delighted? You prefer the Arab oil money bankrolling Trojan sport washing enterprises model?

Barca are a great club, play great football, have a great stadium and a great history and identity. Like Liverpool, AC Milan, Man utd, Bayern Munich.

Teams like Barca are what make football great.

And whiny annoying pretentious fans

Cant stand the club at all and its fake superiority

Did you smash it

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

And whiny annoying pretentious fans

Cant stand the club at all and its fake superiority

It’s not really fake superiority. Players especially South Americans all dream of playing for Barca and Real. That’s starting to change but it’s being the case for decades.

rob316

Did you smash it wrote: »

I would repeat that Barca”s troubles are mainly down to allowing Neymar to leave. A player they haven’t replaced because he was irreplaceable. They agreed a transfer release clause too low in his contract.

If Messi was sold last season; fine. But they would have had the same problem of replacing an irreplaceable player. Sell Messi last summer and I’m not sure they’d be in the champions league this season.

Neymar irreplaceable? :pac::pac:

Its become pretty evident he lived off the brilliance of Messi and Suarez since.

Did you smash it

rob316 wrote: »

Neymar irreplaceable? :pac::pac:

Its become pretty evident he lived off the brilliance of Messi and Suarez since.

He scored in every leg from the quarter final on when they won the champions league in 2015 and Barca have spent 300 million approx to fail to replace him so my advice to you is to reconsider your opinion.

JPA

Did you smash it wrote: »

I would repeat that Barca”s troubles are mainly down to allowing Neymar to leave. A player they haven’t replaced because he was irreplaceable. They agreed a transfer release clause too low in his contract.

If Messi was sold last season; fine. But they would have had the same problem of replacing an irreplaceable player. Sell Messi last summer and I’m not sure they’d be in the champions league this season.

That may be a footballing reason they are 'struggling' but does not explain them haemorrhaging money on so many duds.

Did you smash it

JPA wrote: »

That may be a footballing reason they are 'struggling' but does not explain them haemorrhaging money on so many duds.

It’s hard to replace the Neymars. Those special special talents. Eden Hazard is also a “dud” now because he couldn’t replace Ronaldo. Did hazard look like a dud at Chelsea.

rob316

Did you smash it wrote: »

He scored in every leg from the quarter final on when they won the champions league in 2015 and Barca have spent 300 million approx to fail to replace him so my advice to you is to reconsider your opinion.

My point exactly he's done **** all after Barca

CSF

Did you smash it wrote: »

It’s hard to replace the Neymars. Those special special talents. Eden Hazard is also a “dud” now because he couldn’t replace Ronaldo. Did hazard look like a dud at Chelsea.

Is that really the reason Hazard is being viewed as a dud at Real? It’s probably more that he has played 30 games and scored 4 goals in 2 seasons, rather than who he has replaced.

The fortunate thing for him is he is more than good enough to turn it around but nobody in Madrid has gotten to see the benefit of that yet.

Mitch Connor

Did you smash it wrote: »

It’s hard to replace the Neymars. Those special special talents. Eden Hazard is also a “dud” now because he couldn’t replace Ronaldo. Did hazard look like a dud at Chelsea.

HAzard is a dud for real Madrid because he has been poor, not because he simply failed to replace Ronaldo.

According to WhoScored - https://www.whoscored.com/Players/33404/History/Eden-Hazard

5 goals and 5 assists since he signed for them. in two seasons. and has been injured for large parts of both seasons.

to say it is simply becuase he didn't live up to the standards of Ronaldo is BS. He's been nowhere near the player he was at his best - such as the season before his transfer where he got 18 goals and 17 assists for Chelsea.

JPA

Did you smash it wrote: »

It’s hard to replace the Neymars. Those special special talents. Eden Hazard is also a “dud” now because he couldn’t replace Ronaldo. Did hazard look like a dud at Chelsea.

Neymar leaving and their financial mess are separate issues.

Why are they paying so much in wages? They should be able to pay 'normal' wages because they are Barcelona, playing there is a big deal in itself.

HalloweenJack

Did you smash it wrote: »

I would repeat that Barca”s troubles are mainly down to allowing Neymar to leave. A player they haven’t replaced because he was irreplaceable. They agreed a transfer release clause too low in his contract.

If Messi was sold last season; fine. But they would have had the same problem of replacing an irreplaceable player. Sell Messi last summer and I’m not sure they’d be in the champions league this season.

Players come and go and every team has to replace them at one point or another; this isn't a Barca-specific problem.

What is a Barca problem, however, is spending tonnes of money on players that haven't worked out and then giving ridiculous contracts to hold on to players to avoid a repeat of the Neymar situation. That is simply down to mismanagement by the board. Covid coming along and taking a wrecking ball to their finances means they will have to change their approach in the short-term to balance the books.

They simply have to cut their cloth to fit their measure. They can't be blaming a player who left four years ago according to the terms of the contract they offered him.

retalivity

Its not like Neymar just walked away, they got €220m for him.
Loads of money they could have used to build a team upon, but they pissed it all away.

Mr.Nice Guy

rob316 wrote: »

My point exactly he's done **** all after Barca

Bizarre claim. Ask yourself who has had the better Champions League record since he left, Barca or Neymar.

Did you smash it

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Players come and go and every team has to replace them at one point or another; this isn't a Barca-specific problem.

What is a Barca problem, however, is spending tonnes of money on players that haven't worked out and then giving ridiculous contracts to hold on to players to avoid a repeat of the Neymar situation. That is simply down to mismanagement by the board. Covid coming along and taking a wrecking ball to their finances means they will have to change their approach in the short-term to balance the books.

They simply have to cut their cloth to fit their measure. They can't be blaming a player who left four years ago according to the terms of the contract they offered him.

I don’t really disagree but replacing certain players is very difficult, almost impossible. man utd were never the same European threat once Ronaldo left, having being champions, now it’s the same with Ronaldo and Real. Neymar is the same to a lesser degree.

Did you smash it

retalivity wrote: »

Its not like Neymar just walked away, they got €220m for him.
Loads of money they could have used to build a team upon, but they pissed it all away.

Atletico spent more than half that on Joao Felix and aren’t getting much of a return.

The lesson learnt for Barca was don’t let indispensable assets leave.

NITRO95

Did you smash it wrote: »

Atletico spent more than half that on Joao Felix and aren’t getting much of a return.

The lesson learnt for Barca was don’t let indispensable assets leave.

What athletico spent has nothing got to do with Barca pissing away their money on flops and ridiculous wages

Neymar is far from indispensable. Barca spent extremely poorly. Also Messi and Suarez got older and couldn't carry the team as much. This is what happens when clubs recruit badly don't replace their star players properly