The Argentina international has explained the reasons behind his Camp Nou departure in an emotional final press conference
Lionel Messi has confirmed that he offered to halve his wages in order to stay at Barcelona while branding reports that he asked for a 30 per cent wage increase as "a lie".
Messi addressed the media at Camp Nou for the final time on Sunday, having been forced to cut short his 21-year career at Barca due to a breakdown in negotiations over a new long-term contract.
The Catalan giants have been frantically trying to reduce their wage bill since the end of the 2020-21 campaign to get back below La Liga's official limit, but it was suggested that their club captain was demanding a more lucrative package to extend his stay.