Countdown for Messi: on August 2 he would have to join

The future of Leo Messi is still in the air. Without a contract since July 1, the club continues to work piecemeal to release a large part of the salary mass that allows it to accommodate the new contract of the Argentine striker, who despite lowering his salary by almost 50%, is still the highest Of the template.

In fact, there is already a time and date for his incorporation to the FC Barcelona squad: Monday, August 2 at 9 in the morning. It is the time that the players who have participated in the Copa América and who reached the final on July 11 are summoned. In the case of the Blaugrana club there are three players: Messi, Kun Agüero and Emerson Royal.

It is not planned that they will join the Germany stage, so they will begin their solo training sessions at the Ciutat Esportiva, waiting for the rest of their teammates to return, who will have already played against Stuttgart (July 31), but still they will have to play a second friendly, against Red Bull Salzburg (August 4).

In fact, for that week, in principle On Thursday, August 5, the presentation of the Brazilian Emerson is scheduled, thus closing the cycle of presentations of the four reinforcements that have been carried out so far this summer.

Koeman's plans are to give them minutes on August 8 at the Joan Gamper tournament against Juventus, with the presence of almost 20,000 fans in the stands. There is no doubt that The great unknown will be whether or not Leo Messi will be there. His case is overflowing the imagination and straining the nerves of everyone at the club: the two parties are in full agreement for the renewal, but the limits of the salary bill prevent the new contract from being made official.

That means, speaking in silver, that the club has to reduce the salary bill urgently in the coming days if it wants Messi to return on August 2. And that inevitably happens due to the departure of players with high chips, among which two stand out above the rest: Coutinho and Griezmann. It is evident that one of the two has to leave the club at least to lighten the salary mass and that the financial “fair play”, which is mandatory, allows the Argentine star to be registered.

Barcelona has a week ahead to finish making a hole in the squad for Leo, if not the player will have to wait, watching his teammates train from the couch at home. Of course, there is a limit where there will be no turning back: on August 31, the last day of player registration for LaLiga and the Champions League.