A close friend of Lionel Messi, who made five appearances for Barcelona in 2021, has taken the club to court seeking $3.2 million in compensation over unpaid salary.

Sergio Agüero filed a lawsuit against Barcelona for €3 million ($3.2m) over money owed as part of his 2021 contract termination, an official report has revealed.

Its 89 pages, seen by The Athletic, offer a window onto the colourful and chaotic way in which the club’s affairs have been handled, both under current president Joan Laporta and in the past. Nothing ever seems simple at Barcelona and nothing ever seems to end,