Barca swap Arthur for Pjanic...

Originally Posted by Vedder

Something dodgy been going on at Barca for a while. They’re absolutely f***ed when Messi retires.

Yep. The Fati nonsense was all a rouse for the fans. They're going the way of AC in a few years.

Giving Messi such a huge contract a couple of years ago placed a stranglehold over the club, he really had them over a barrel. And they're now in the process of extending it, which would entail paying him a very fat bonus (Barca paid Neymar 100 mill for doing just that, a few weeks before he signed for PSG). They're a bit f***ed whether he stays or goes.

They’re even losing their la masia kids, we’re signing the Right Back Jurado and City are signing their left back.

Originally Posted by Vedder

Something dodgy been going on at Barca for a while. They’re absolutely f***ed when Messi retires.

They are signing Angel Gomes

Originally Posted by Seamus

They are signing Angel Gomes

Wonder if they will feed him hormones like they did with Messi to make him bigger?

Originally Posted by Seamus

They are signing Angel Gomes

Further proof they’re a mess

Live the piano man absolutely fantastic player

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

It’s like Barca are deliberately trying to piss Messi off so that he leaves

One awful decision after another

Utter shambles that club

I guess the problem is when you have the greatest player of all time still absolutely dominating the league, but only signing 1 year deals at a time how do you decide when to cut him off? He's just turned 33, a new deal this summer is being reported to cost them £1.15m a week

I imagine just about all of their commercial aspects are linked to Messi being there. They are over a barrel & Messi knows it. Can't even get a fee for him, can't be seen to let him go as he'll just be ridiculously good elsewhere & the only way is down for them as a club.

As mentioned, so many of their good players are well over 30 as well, they wouldn't trade their success over the last 10 years obviously, but equally it's hard to see how they'll get back on top again. Real were genuinely smart to sell Ronaldo for £100m when they did if it enables them to position themselves as the best side in Spain for the next few seasons.

Are you my Arthur? Say you are.