How Barcelona could have 'saved' Lionel Messi with Michael Jordan-like deal at Camp Nou

Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font, who finished second to Joan Laporta in the elections, has explained the kind of deal he would have issued to 7-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi to keep him at the club. Last season, the Catalan giants lost perhaps their most prestigious player after they failed to offer the Argentine a new contract due to massive debts and the need to comply with financial fair play (FFP) regulations.

Font explains how Barcelona could have kept hold of Lionel Messi

While speaking in an interview with La Vanguardia, Victor Font said, "Our plan to save Messi was different. We reduced salary mass and losses in the first year and we proposed a lifetime agreement."

The Barcelona presidential candidate went on to explain how a Michael Jordan-like deal (like the one the NBA star has with Nike) could have helped keep the Argentine captain at the Camp Nou.

"Jordan will charge 150 million percentage in one year, more than any current figure in the NBA and more than when he played. We went beyond conventional renovation. Surely Messi would have liked it because he strengthened his bond with Barça. Today it is urgent to re-establish that bond," Font explained.

After it became evident that the Catalan giants could not keep hold of Messi, the 35-year-old signed a two-year contract with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The Argentine international did not have the best of seasons at the club as per his extremely high standards, as he could only score 11 goals from 34 games in all competitions.

Messi won Ligue 1 title with PSG but failed to win UCL

With the blockbuster signing of Lionel Messi, several football fans expected PSG to have a massive opportunity to fight for the UEFA Champions League (UCL) title. The Ligue 1 giants were eventually knocked out in the Round of 16 by Real Madrid, who came from 2-0 down to beat them 3-2 in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. While Messi failed to win the UCL with PSG, he was an integral part of the team that went on to win the club's 10th Ligue 1 title.