Segura on La Masia crisis: We won't pay obscene numbers

Barcelona's general manager Pep Segura explained on Tuesday the club's criteria at youth level following Lionel Messi's criticism in an interview with SPORT, when the Argentina star said that the club have not backed the academy as much in recent seasons. 

Segura, though, believes Messi's comments had a different meaning "because he feels like a a man of the house and he likes the club to keep working in that way." 

He added: "But the club have not stopped working hard on forming young players. We have to be aware, though, that inflation has gone through the roof in terms of young players. 

"We have made important changes to our salary structure in the last two years to be able to compete with the big European clubs and to satisfy the economic aspirations of our players." 

OBSCENE NUMBERS 

But despite the club's efforts, according to Segura, Barça have had to clamp down on the demands being made by some agents. 

"We always try to help those that want to be with us," he continued, "but we are not going to pay what some representatives are demanding, obsecene numbers, like when they ask for one or two million euros to guarantee that a player that is already ours stays with us. 

"We will bet on those that want to be with us, but not making payments to agents that want to make money on a player that we have developed in-house."