The ramifications of Lionel Messi's decision to live out the rest of his contract at Barcelona have hit the team hard, especially when it comes to their payroll.
According to a report by Mundo Deportivo, the chances of watching Messi leave would have had a positive effect on the team's finances, since they would have been able to use the player's mammoth wages to distribute it among those who stayed behind. Now, with that in mind, Barcelona needs to reduce their wage bill as much as they can, which is why up to twelve players could leave the club after Messi's decision.
Mundo Deportivo's report states that Messi's will force the Culé side to part ways with some key members of their squad in recent years. Added to that, the Catalan club will try to find a new workplace for some of the footballers that have been deemed surplus to Ronald Koeman's requirements.
The list is led by none other than Luis Suárez, who is said to have turned down a move to Juventus due to a problem with his request for an Italian passport. Other high-profile names on this list include Sergio Busquets (with Watford pushing hard for his transfer), Arturo Vidal (who is on the verge of signing a deal with Inter Milan), Samuel Umtiti (who has been linked to Olympique Lyon), and Martin Braithwaite, who was signed as a last-minute replacement for Ousmané Dembelé back in February.
Koeman's list of names also includes footballers such as Rafinha, Junior Firpo, Nelson Semedo, Jean-Clair Todibo, and youngsters Miranda, Monchu and Moussa Wagué.
These moves should help Barcelona's plans to rebuild the squad after their 8-2 defeat against Bayern in the UEFA Champions League last month. Added to that, fresh cash in the team's bank account could give Koeman the opportunity to sign Memphis Depay and Gerginio Wijnaldum, two players that have been specifically named by Koeman on top of his wishlist.
With the transfer window set to shut down on October 5, Barcelona execs must hit the gas to speed up some of these moves. Otherwise, the club might not be able to give Koeman the necessary tools to make Barcelona great again after a trophy-less season.
