Where to Messi?

[Yogesh]

Messi has finally decided to leave Barca and has informed them about it on Tuesday. He is understood to have talked to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Messi believes there is a clause in contract that enables him to leave him as free in the summer. Bartca has been adamant on him remaining with them. They have been quoting a buyout clause of €700M for his release.

But, After Messi formally requesting club president to release him, Barca now seems resigned to him leaving. But, They are in for making most of him leaving and have put a staggering price of €222M for his release.

Where would Messi land? What do you guys have to say?

[Yash]

What Leo Messi precisely did within 3 hours to the world after announcing that he wants to leave Barcelona.

• Created a mass agitation and unrest in furious Catalonia.

• Shook the Barcelona board and forced a mass resignation of the people who are ruling for last 6 years.

• Created a potential unprecedented financial crysis with sponsors withdrawing from Barcelona partnership.

• Shook the world to be trended as number 1 person in google search.

• Created a 2 million new followers in instagram within 3 hours to break the record of Jennifer Aniston.

• Became the top discussed/searched topic in Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and google

• Created a global sports concern where a lot of global sports organizations raised their voice. That includes tennis, NBA, F1, Baseball, Ice hockey, American football, football, Cricket, Athletics.

The man who shook the world without stating a single world or PR stunt. The same way his departure to any other club will also be more of a surprise than predictions.

[Praveen]

Any club in the world, surely, would jump at the opportunity to recruit the Argentine superstar.

But his situation is complicated, and realistically only a small number of candidates have a chance of securing his signature.

Manchester beckons?

Messi has been a keen follower of English football for many years, and has a strong knowledge of the Premier League if only because two of his closest friends - Sergio Aguero and Cesc Fabregas - have spent so long in England.

There’s certainly a huge amount of logic to the idea that he will join Manchester City. Firstly for Pep Guardiola, of course, but also for the key backroom staff of Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain, who were also previously alongside him at Barcelona.

The fact City are one of the few teams capable of meeting his wage expectations also helps, and on a football level Messi knows Guardiola would develop a team framework which allows him to excel - something he has been missing at Barcelona for the past few years.

[Jay]

Messi to Man City?

As per reports, Messi spoke with his former coach Pep Guardiola before handing in a transfer request at Camp Nou. Apparently, Guardiola has recently held talks with Lionel Messi and would be delighted to be reunited.

Financially too, Man City seems to be one of the few clubs with the financial muscle capable of absorbing Messi’s wages.

Messi having worked together with Guardiola previously at Barca (2008-2012) and having enjoyed arguably their greatest successes together, the proposal does suggest a reunion with great prospects for both parties.

[Jeff]

Why does La Pulga want to depart from Camp Nou?

To leave the Catalan Club, Messi invokes the release clause that lets him leave for free until the 10th of June 2021. However, Barca are not willing to agree to this decision of his. His current release clause is a hefty $830M. If the courts rule in Barca’s favour no club will be able to pay this huge an amount.

[Yogesh]

It seems Messi is confident that he can activate a clause in his contract that allows him to leave for free this summer, and if it comes to FIFA, he will win the case. FIFA sources have stated that there is no precedent in the last fifteen years that would stop Lionel Messi being able to leave on a free.

The bone in contention is end point of clause. Barca says the clause expired in Jun - Typical season end. Messi citing FIFA ruling says clause is valid til season is in play.

[Yash]

Josep Maria Bartomeu is ready to step down from his role as Barcelona president if Lionel Messi performs a U-turn on his decision to leave the club.

[Yogesh]

Seems like PR exercise for upcoming election! Trying to mitigate some of the damage!

[Saket]

Messi is expected to miss training today amid Manchester City interest.

La Liga says Messi’s release clause will have to be paid if he is to leave the Nou Camp. Messi’s father expected to meet with senior Barca figures on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona this summer and is “likely” to move to Manchester City, according to Barca presidential candidate Toni Freixa.

[Subrat]

Lionel Messi wants to leave FC Barcelona! Manchester City, PSG and Newell’s Old Boys are prepared to sign him. To tip the scales, Neymar may have called Lionel Messi to ask him to join PSG. Will Messi agree to joining Neymar at PSG?

[Jeff]

Lionel Messi has agreed to a 700 million Euros 5-year contract with Man City.

[Animesh]

Rare footage of a 8/9 year old Lionel Messi playing a youth tournament with Newell’s Old Boys. Look at his accelerations, look at his moves, look at his left foot! Destined to be THE BEST!

[Shashank]

Lionel Messi = FC Barcelona | Official Tribute

Lionel Messi is the greatest player in the history of FC Barcelona. He is not just the club’s top scorer and the player with the most assists, he has also the most trophies. Messi arrived when he was just 13 years old, however now after more than 20 years the beautiful story in Barcelona could come to an end. Let’s go back and enjoy his greatest moments once again!

[Yash]

Leo Messi confirms he will stay at Barcelona for the 2020/21 season.

[Jay]

Messi has accepted he must stay at Camp Nou to avoid dragging his beloved club to court, but only after experiencing a desperately sad couple of weeks.

“When I communicated my wish to leave to my wife and children, it was a brutal drama,” Messi told Goal.

“The whole family began crying, my children did not want to leave Barcelona, nor did they want to change schools.

“But I looked further afield and I want to compete at the highest level, win titles, compete in the Champions League. You can win or lose in it, because it is very difficult, but you have to compete.

“At least compete for it and let us not fall apart in Rome, Liverpool, Lisbon. All that led me to think about that decision that I wanted to carry out.”

However, that ambition to accept a new challenge was thwarted by Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, whom Messi claims reneged on a promise he could leave at the end of 2019-20.

“I thought and was sure that I was free to leave, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not,” he said.

“Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before June 10, when it turns out that on June 10 we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season.

“And this is the reason why I am going to continue in the club. Now I am going to continue in the club because the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the €700 million (£624m/$823m) clause, and that this is impossible.”

There was only one way out if Messi was to leave: taking Barcelona to court. But the six-time Ballon d’Or winner refuses to take that route, and so will remain at the club for another 10 months.

“There was another way and it was to go to trial," he added. “I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived.

“It is the club of my life, I have made my life here.

“Barca gave me everything and I gave it everything. I know that it never crossed my mind to take Barca to court.”

Excerpts from an exclusive with Goal.

[Amit]

The reason why Leo Messi has decided to stay at FC Barcelona | Oh My Goal

[Yogesh]

I am not sure what Barca would get out of this?

A reluctant Messi wouldn’t be much useful. Also, They come out of this looking like big jerks.

[Yogesh]

After months of speculation and debate, Lionel Messi will “do everything in his power” to stay at Barcelona as long as he receives a suitable offer, according to presidential candidate Joan Laporta!

[Rob]

Yes, I remember the matches you are talking about.