As we get closer to the transfer window, rumours and gossip have seen a number of players linked with moves to other clubs or even abroad. And now Lionel Messi’s name has been thrown into the mix with the Daily Star claiming the Argentine forward is open to a very lucrative move to England next summer.
The paper reports that the four-time Ballon d’Or winner wants to leave Spain after getting into trouble with the government over a tax fraud case. The 28-year-old is expected to face trial for tax evasion charges with accusations that he and his father defrauded Spanish authorities totaling more than €4m on three separate counts. The Barcelona no.10 has been out of action since the end of September after suffering a tear to his medial collateral ligament (inner knee) in the opening minutes of the Catalan club’s match against Las Palmas.
The only clubs currently capable of even signing Messi and paying his astronomical wages are Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United. But even they would balk at the wage demands being reported by the Daily Star, who understand that Messi is seeking at least £18m – after tax!
To earn that kind of money after tax, Messi would have to earn around £600,000 a week. That is double the weekly wage of the Premier League’s current highest paid player – Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney.
The only other players who command wages higher than £200,000 per week include Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, David Silva (all Manchester City), Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas (both Chelsea). It seems almost ludicrous to suggest that a player could earn almost three times their wages, no matter how good they are, also keeping in mind that Financial Fair Play restrictions would ensure no club could pay that much.
And that’s not all. Messi’s release clause itself is a mammoth £175 million. Full squads are assembled with that kind of money, let alone signing a single player.
Messi reportedly looking for move to London
The report also suggests that Messi is looking for a move to London and the luxuries that come with it. The only viable options in England’s capital city are Chelsea and Arsenal. Messi may be averse to working with Mourinho and there is no way Wenger would destroy his legacy by spending his entire transfer budget to sign Messi and then break the club’s wage structure to keep Messi happy in north London.
“We have no players on £200,000 a week and I think other clubs will come down to us with financial fair play,” Wenger had said once, according to The Telegraph. “We have a more socialist model.”
Indeed, the highest paid player at Arsenal is now Mesut Ozil, who is reportedly paid £140,000 per week, according to Daily Mail. The next highest earner is Messi’s former teammate Alexis Sanchez at £130,000 per week. The highest transfer fees Arsenal have paid are for Ozil (£42.4m) and Alexis (£35m).
So Arsenal fans can stop dreaming for now. There is also no way Barcelona will sell Messi for cheap – even if they agree to remove the release clause in his contract.
