Lionel Messi has explained to Barcelona that he wishes to go away the club quickly – and on a free of charge transfer. The Argentinian, who according to RAC1 radio experienced informed new manager Ronald Koeman that he felt “more out than in”, has despatched a fax to Barcelona informing them of his drive to go.
His camp thinks that a clause in his contract indicates that he can wander away for no cost. Barcelona, by contrast, insist that he is nevertheless sure by a €700m (£629m) purchase-out clause. The bombshell dropped on Tuesday night with the news that Messi experienced told the club on Tuesday afternoon.
Barcelona are but to react formally but they keep on to insist that he is element of Koeman’s options and that if he is to depart, his official price is €700m. Messi’s deal expires future summer, suggesting that they would be forced to negotiate with potential potential buyers.
Even worse, a clause in his agreement will allow him to wander away for no cost so extended as he communicates that conclusion. Barcelona imagine that the deadline for that clause to be applied has expired: he experienced to notify them of his selection ahead of the finish of Might. But specified the extraordinary character of this year, which prolonged into the summer season and did not formally conclusion until finally previous Sunday’s Champions League final, Messi’s camp are established to argue that the deadline should really be set on 31 August.
No matter what comes about now, the romance between the player and the club is damaged over and above repair, the crisis deepening by the minute. Josep Maria Bartomeu, by now below rigorous pressure, may possibly now go down as the guy who oversaw the very last, bitter, unhappy departure of the most critical participant in the club’s background.
