This move would have been financially risky for Barca, Laporta said. The club's president voiced hope that a new era will begin at Camp Nou after Messi's departure "as it was with other great players in the history of Barca". Laporta went as far as to suggest that Messi's exit will make the players more motivated because the bar was set "so high". Among the "new" players Barca wanted to sign was none other than Lionel Messi, whose contract expired at the end of June. The Blaugrana president said that a recent audit showed Barcelona's finances are worse than the new board of directors thought.

Source: The Nation August 06, 2021 12:45 UTC