The whole world has been in shock after Barcelona confirmed that Lionel Messi has actually requested the club to terminate the contract.
He is on the verge of leaving the club and it has been confirmed that with a bureaufax the Argentine has communicated to the club that he wants to leave the club. The forward has a clause in his contract that allows him to walk away for free, after each season that expired on June 11.
🗣 "I have seen the contract"
— Goal (@goal) August 26, 2020
Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart claims Lionel Messi will NOT be allowed to leave this summer 👀 pic.twitter.com/cHzSfrzDwN
But this time the season has been stretched longer due to the Coronavirus pandemic, so technically Messi still has this month to ask to leave for free. The shameless Barcelona board wants to go through a legal scrap with Messi this time.
Also if Barcelona will insist to keep him and not considering his ‘free transfer clause’ as valid also right now because it was expired on June, Leo Messi will tell again to the board that he wants to leave the club. He wants to change. The battle is on. 🔴🇦🇷 #FCB #Messi #Barça
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 26, 2020
There was also a rumour that Bartomeu has decided to resign if that convinces Messi to stay. But later the club president himself has confirmed that he won’t resign.
So, it seems the Lionel Messi transfer saga will continue for the next few days with the possibility of the Argentine joining Premier League side Manchester City looming large.
Messi quer jogar no Manchester City. Trata a saída do Barcelona como algo que dói na alma, mas o fim de um ciclo pic.twitter.com/FVMPDvB7Go
— Marcelo Bechler (@marcelobechler) August 26, 2020
Lionel Messi has chosen Manchester City as the club he wants to play for, per @marcelobechler pic.twitter.com/0zUOLeKmbA
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 26, 2020
Although there are not many clubs who can afford Lionel Messi, Manchester City are among the few who can actually afford the Argentine.
There’s another advantage for City in the form of Pep Guardiola. He shares a good relationship with Messi and he always liked him to come to the Etihad stadium. Guardiola brought the best out of Messi during their time together at Camp Nou.
According to a report by Catalunya Radio, last week Leo Messi has called Pep Guardiola. Messi has informed him of his situation at Barcelona, his doubts and even consulted him. Guardiola said that he would be delighted to have him in his team.
Messi has recently started following Manchester City in Instagram as well and he is excited to be a part of a winning project, which the Barcelona board has failed to provide him in the last few years.
🗣| Khaldoon Al Mubarak on #Messi in 2016:
— City Chief (@City_Chief) August 26, 2020
“We asked [Pep] Guardiola to talk to him. We offered him triple the salary he has at Barcelona, but he never accepted it.” pic.twitter.com/bybFnkOmBj
Manchester City has always been an admirer of Messi but he himself has never wanted to leave Camp Nou. But his time Messi wants to leave and it seems City would do everything in their power to bring the 33-year-old to the Etihad stadium.
Also, it is reported that the English club has about 300 million euros to invest in signings this summer and they have already started calculating how they can afford Messi.
As things stand as of now, Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona for Manchester City has a real possibility of happening.
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