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Lionel Messi wants to meet with Barcelona to try and negotiate his exit from the Camp Nou, but the Catalan giants will only meet with their captain if it to discuss renewing his contract.
The Argentina international informed the club of his intention to depart on Tuesday and wants to try and find an amicable exit, but Barcelona have no intention of selling their greatest ever player.
President Josep Maria Bartomeu has informed Messi’s father and agent, Jorge, that he will only meet with his club captain if it is to talk about renewing his contract, according to Francesc Latorre and Xavi Lemus at Catalunya Radio. Messi’s current deal runs until the end of next season and has a buyout clause of €700 million.
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Why Barcelona Won’t Sell Messi
Barcelona have plenty of reasons why they do not want to sell Messi, according to Fernando Polo at Mundo Deportivo. The Catalan giants want the 33-year-old to be the “cornerstone” of new manager Ronald Koeman’s project at the Camp Nou.
Bartomeu also does not want to be remembered as the man who let Messi go, while the club also believe selling their superstar would be a sign of weakness. The club have failed to land players such as Marco Verratti and Neymar in recent transfer windows and Barcelona want to take a similar firm stance with Messi.
Financial reasons are also a factor. Messi generates plenty of money through sponsorship, during tours, and from shirt sales which Barcelona do not “want to give up” particularly having been economically affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
What Next for Messi and Barcelona?
It’s not clear what will happen next in the saga and who will make the next move. All eyes will be on the training ground on Sunday when Messi is due to report back for PCR testing before starting pre-season training on Monday.
There are already conflicting reports regarding whether Messi will attend. The captain is “seriously considering” not turning up, according to Santi Gimenez at AS. However, Sport’s Luis Mascaro has reported Messi is expected to start pre-season with Koeman’s side and wants to leave the club on good terms.
Meanwhile, the list of clubs interested in signing Messi has grown. According to L’Equipe, Serie A champions Juventus have spoken with Jorge Messi and are considering bringing him in to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in Turin.
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