Barcelona must sell key forward in order to re-sign Lionel Messi – report

Barcelona are determined to bring Lionel Messi back to the club this summer, two years after he left in order to join Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi’s contract at the French champions expires at the end of the season, and with a renewal very unlikely, he would become a free agent in the summer, which would allow Barcelona to sign him without spending any money on a transfer fee.

However, their pursuit has been complicated of late, as currently, they are unable to register any new players until LaLiga approve their viability plan. This process has dragged on, which has caused problems for both Barcelona and Messi.

Even if Barcelona’s viability plan is approved, they may have to wait to re-sign Messi. According to Sport, they can only register the Argentine if they sell Raphinha, who has attracted Premier League over the last few months.

Raphinha, who only joined Barcelona last summer, has had a promising first season in Catalonia, but it now appears that he could be sold, providing that the Blaugrana press ahead with plans to sign Messi.

Barcelona are keen to keep Raphinha, but they could be forced into selling if they continue their intention to sign Messi this summer. The situation will be one to watch over the next few weeks.