Would have offered Lionel Messi a contract like Michael Jordan’s at Nike: Barcelona presidential candidate

Lionel Messi departed FC Barcelona during the 2021-22 summer transfer window, joining Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer on August 10 last year. The Spanish club cited financial and structural obstacles posed by La Liga regulations as a reason for Messi’s departure. But Victor Font, who won the second-most votes in the last FC Barcelona presidential elections, feels Joan Laporta and his team failed to strengthen Messi’s bond with the club. Font went on to reveal that his team’s plan to make Messi stay ‘was different’ and would have involved a ‘lifetime agreement’ like Michael Jordan’s brand at Nike.

“Our plan to save Messi was different. We reduced salary mass and losses the first year and we proposed a lifetime agreement. The other day he read that the Jordan brand developed at Nike has exceeded 5 billion dollars in revenue this year”, he said, during an interview with La Vanguardia.

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“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 reestablish that bond”, he further added.

Messi signed a two-year contract with PSG and could only muster 11 goals in his debut campaign. Despite helping them win the Ligue 1 title, he failed to make an impact in the UEFA Champions League as they failed to win the trophy once again.

Meanwhile, the Argentina captain will also be hoping for Neymar to remain at PSG, with the Brazilian forward rumoured to leave the French capital. The club’s hierarchy are reportedly entertaining the idea of Neymar leaving and giving Kylian Mbappe a leading role. But according to La Nacion, Messi wants Neymar to remain at PSG and his exit could also be complicated.