The news broke just as the January transfer window was coming to an end. Spanish newspaper El Mundo splashed the figure across its front page: €555,237,619. It was the full potential value of Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract, due to expire in the summer of 2021.
For many the political side of it came to the fore. Messi’s deal expiring meant he was free to speak with other clubs, with Paris Saint-Germain admitting