Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi has reportedly included the club’s signing of Argentine Sergio Aguero as part of his conditions for signing a new contract. The reports claim that Messi is close to signing a new contract with the Catalan club and is due to make around £16.5 million a year with up to £3m in bonuses. The conditions that Messi has set forth include the club bringing over his fellow Argentine from Manchester City and offering goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto an extension. Pinto is believed to be on his way out in the summer but not if Messi has his way.
Offering Pinto an extension would be easy for the club as he has been a loyal servant for years and even at 38 he can still be a serviceable deputy to the incoming Marc-Andre Ter Stegen from Borussia Monchengladbach. Prying Sergio Aguero from the grips of Manchester City’s wealthy owners may be a bit more of a challenge for the Catalan club. However, in the wake of Financial Fair Play (FFP) and UEFA’s wage cap and Champions League squad limits, what seemed impossible just months may become a reality. Players that were once thought to be untouchable, Aguero among them, could now be put on the market to help City balance their books.
If Barcelona were to sign Sergio Aguero then it raises questions about how well, or how poorly, Neymar has fit in at the club since arriving in the summer. Once seen as a bit of a bargain for Barcelona, the hidden costs and shadowy dealings behind his transfer have come to light and depending on who you believe, Neymar may have been more expensive than Gareth Bale. An attacking trio of Neymar, Messi, and Aguero would be fearsome for any club but with Barcelona it is more of an issue of fitting within the system rather than individual talent. It may seem unlikely now but if Messi was to get his wish, things could get that much more interesting at Barcelona.
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