Former Barcelona marketing chief Cinto Ajram admits the club's sponsorship plans are in flux over Lionel Messi's contract stand-off.

Ajram was in charge of marketing during former president Josep Maria Bartomeu's tenure and was involved in setting up the Rakuten deal.

He told Sport: "It is a reality that the coronavirus is greatly reducing the amount of money from sponsorships because the visibility of brands has been greatly affected, but the agreement now for €30 million plus variables responds more to Rakuten's uncertainty regarding the future of Leo Messi.

"I'd even wonder if this endorsement deal is valued at €30 million right now. Rakuten began the relationship with Barcelona at a critical moment in which it had the trident formed by Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar. Commercially they were a bomb and now Barcelona is proposing to renew Rakuten without Suárez and Neymar and with the question of whether Messi will continue.

"When you sell the Barcelona brand around the world, you put on the face of Messi."