Barcelona’s interim president Carlos Tusquets has said the Catalans should have cashed-in on Lionel Messi during the summer transfer window, saying the savings the club would have made on the player’s wages would have been “desirable”.
Messi shocked the football world by giving legal notice of his intent to leave Barcelona at the end of last season and was heavily linked with a move to Manchester City and a reunion with his former Barca boss Pep Guardiola.
The Argentine, 33, said the decision was due to the direction the now former board had taken the club and its erratic transfer policy.
Ex-Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned in October rather than face a vote of no confidence, with Carlos Tusquets taking temporary charge until January’s elections.
With La Liga last month slashing clubs’ spending limits by €610 million ($724.25m) for the 2020/2021 season due to the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Barcelona’s salary cap has been cut to €382.7m from €671m, nearly €288m.
Tusquets told RAC1 radio station that, from a financial standpoint, he would have made the case for selling Messi, had he been in charge, but added that the decision would have ultimately rested with head coach Ronald Koeman.
“Economically speaking, I would’ve sold Messi in the summer window,” Tusquets said.
“Both in terms of what you save on the wage bill as well as the money you make, it would’ve been desirable. But this is something the coaching staff have to consent to and that’s not my place.
“La Liga are setting salary limits at the moment and this would’ve helped on that front.”
Source – The National Sport
