Revealed: Only Manchester United Can Afford To Sign Messi

Manchester United and Real Madrid are the only two clubs that could sign Lionel Messi for an outright fee within Financial Fair Play rules, SPORTSMAIL reports.

And considering that the prospect of Messi moving from Barcelona to their arch rivals is unlikely, then the Old Trafford club may be the only realistic destination for the Argentine if he was to leave the Nou Camp.

Even then, meeting the 27-year-old's astronomical wages without breaking UEFA's FFP rules could prove a struggle.

An offer of £196million would meet Messi's buy-out clause and oblige Barcelona to sell if it was the player's will to leave.

Rob Wilson, a football finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, told the BBC : 'With the revenue they generate and cash reserves, only United and Real Madrid could pay the fee.

'With salary costs probably even they couldn't stay within FFP.'

If a club exceeds losses of more than £23.5m over a three-year period that includes the current campaign, they open themselves to the prospect of sanctions by UEFA.

A staggered transfer payment could avoid any breach of rules but it is believed that Barcelona would be unlikely to accept this.

Wilson said: 'Unless Messi absolutely wanted to get out of the club, why would Barcelona agree to that?

'Staggering the payments would certainly make it easier for Chelsea, Manchester City, PSG and Bayern Munich but Manchester United demanded the fee up front when they sold Cristiano Ronaldo and I strongly suspect it would be the same for Messi.'

Barca coach Luis Enrique is believed to be on borrowed time amid talk of a bust-up with Messi while Andoni Zubizarreta was sacked as sporting director this week and club legend
Carles Puyol left.

Barcelona are not allowed to sign players during 2015 after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a FIFA ban handed out for a breach of rules relating to the signing of
players under the age of 18.

Speaking on Friday, Chelsea assistant manager Steve Holland acknowledged that the prospect of ever signing Messi was unlikely due to FFP rules.

Holland said: 'Signing (someone like him) under FFP I would think is impossible. We have to balance the books here.'

Jose Mourinho doesn't want any transfer activity in January
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