Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi’s humongous deal at the club has been exposed in documents leaked by the Spanish press.
Redacted documents published by El Mundo on Sunday showed that the extension the 33-year-old signed in 2017 is worth a staggering €555 million.
The deal signed under former club President Josep Maria Bartomeu, included base salary, image rights, bonuses and many other variables.
The four-year deal works out at €133 million annually, while the Argentine got €115 million as renewal bonus just for signing the deal and another €77 million as loyalty bonus.
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The deal came into sharp focus following the club’s present precarious financial situation caused by overspending and financial mismanagement and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
El Mundo reported that Barcelona must pay approximately €266 million by June or risk facing bankruptcy.
With the club now facing potential bankruptcy, it is highly unlucky they would be able to keep the six-time Ballon D’Or winner beyond this season, when his current deal is expected to expire.