FC Barcelona have now reportedly taken a desperate step in order to pave the way for Lionel Messi's proposed return to the Camp Nou.
Barca are thought to be adamant about re-signing the 35-year-old, despite having serious financial problems that could scupper the potential deal.
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As such, the club has resorted to new ways to balance their books in addition to LaLiga's recommendation that they sell some of their players and reduce wages in order to do business in the next transfer window.
Barca are believed to have already started asking their stars to accept a 15% salary cut, but this has reportedly not gone down well with two of their players, with Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie said to have rejected the idea.
Now, according to Spanish outlet El Partidazo de Cope, the Blaugrana have decided to shut down their official TV channel, BarcaTV, in an attempt to further cut costs and re-sign their all-time top goalscorer.
It is reported the Catalans were paying between €6 million and €8 million (between R121 million and R161 million) a year to run the channel.
Messi's possible return to the Camp Nou has not been met optimism by everyone, however, with former Argentina star Mario Kempes recently insisting the player should stay at Paris Saint-Germain instead.
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"I don't think it's healthy for him to return to Barcelona," Kempes told Super Deportivo Radio.
"He would be better off in France, so that he reaches the next World Cup calmly, he should stay there.
"Barcelona's objectives, they are different, it is still being put together, after his departure. There are many problems."
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