Broke Barcelona Plans To Sign Ronaldo To Join Messi- Report

Barcelona President is planning to launch an ambitious bid for Juventus forward, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Laporta who staged a comeback at the Camp Nou earlier this year has been looking for ways to make the Catalan club more competitive after inheriting a ruined club from Josep Maria Bartomeu.

But taking over the club when it is broke is one of his greatest challenge and has been working on refinancing the club’s overall debt amounting to €1.2bn.

Lionel Messi’s contract expires June 30 and the President believes that the 33-year-old maestro would continue at Barcelona.

“Aguero is helping. He is telling him every day to stay,” Laporta told Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia.

The club has signed Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia  and most recent, Memphis Depay.

But the big buster will be an ambitious plan to sign five times Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo.

Ronaldo moved to Juventus from Real Madrid for a fee of £99.2m in 2018 and currently earns €31m after a 20 per cent Covid-19 induced wage cut.

In 2019, Ronaldo earned $109m, including $65m in salary and bonus, making him world’s second-highest-paid footballer and one of the top paid athlet in the world.

Barcelona are already struggling with a payment plan for Messi’s wage bill who earns €71m annually.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s four-year contract with Barcelona is worth €555.2m ($673.8m), according to reports.

The move to bring Ronaldo would reshape the history between the two greatest rivals, but it is not certain if the Portuguese will accept, according to the report.

Jorge Mendes, his agent has not made the proposal formal to him.

Laporta’s plan is to offer two players to Juventus, with Antoine Griezmann, Sergi Roberto and Philippe Coutinho projected to be included in the swap plus cash deal.