With FC Barcelona said to be desperate to reduce their wage bill amid rumours of Lionel Messi's potential return, two of the Spanish club's stars have now reportedly refused requests to take pay cuts.
Despite acquiring several investment partnerships in recent months, including a deal with Spotify and the sale of a 25% stake of the club's audio-visual studio, Barca remain in a precarious financial situation.
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As such, the Catalan outfit needs to offload several stars in order to alleviate their budget and satisfy LaLiga's strict financial rules before they can go ahead and sign new players.
This situation is likely to complicate Messi's potential return to the Camp Nou, even after senior members of the club confirmed they want a fairy-tale reunion with the Paris Saint-Germain superstar when his contract comes to an end in June.
It is believed the Catalans have now taken another step in trying to relieve their wage bill, but were not entirely unsuccessful in doing so.
According to Spanish publication Sport, the Blaugrana want all their first-team players to take a 15% pay cut, but two of their more recent recruits have refused to do so.
Midfielder Franck Kessie and defender Andreas Christensen are said to be the pair in question, having only arrived at the Camp Nou at the start of the current campaign after leaving AC Milan and Chelsea, respectively, as free agents.
The report also claims that Barca have actually taken their refusals well because they appreciate the fact that the duo opted to join them despite receiving offers from teams elsewhere or potentially staying on at their previous clubs.
Both seem to have adjusted to life in Spain comfortably, with the Ivorian playing a key role under Xavi Hernandez, registering more appearances than Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri in central midfield this season.
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However, there have also been some suggestions that Barca could look to turn a profit on Kessie, alongside some other stars such as Ansu Fati and Eric Garcia, in a bid to further relieve pressure on their finances.
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