Barcelona are bracing for life without their Argentine talisman but there's a possibility Lionel Messi will stay in Catalonia, according to a La Liga expert speaking to Joy Sports.

It comes after Messi's unsuccessful attempt to depart last summer. He withdrew a letter announcing his intention to leave after a standoff with the club over a clause in his contract he believed allowed him to leave as a free agent.

Football writer Guillem Balague, on JoyNews PM Express on Wednesday, however suspects Messi could remain in Spain and may be waiting for Barca to present an offer.

Balague said Messi knows his options are few because of his monetary demands. He mentioned Manchester City and PSG as the clubs capable of signing him. "Messi is waiting to hear what the offer of Barcelona is and then make the next steps".

"Messi is not stupid. He knows that it will be hard for any side that is not PSG or Manchester City to take him" he said.

He added that "Messi is waiting to hear what the offer of Barcelona is and then make the next steps".
"There is no clue whatsoever of what he's going to do the next".

He pointed to Barca's current financial situation as the reason for the uncertainty surrounding Messi's future. The club's recent audit revealed an institution in distress with the Catalan side recently securing one hundred million euros bank loan to settle players wages.