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Lionel Messi wants to meet with Barcelona as soon as possible for talks to discuss his future but the club have no intention of selling their star player.
According to Marcos Lopez at El Periodico, the captain wants to reach a friendly agreement with the club and leave in the current transfer window. The Argentine is yet to speak about his future but wants to avoid a war with the club.
Messi believes he can use a clause in his contract to leave for free this summer, but Barcelona understand the clause expired in June and is no longer valid. If the two can not come to an agreement then it’s possible a legal battle could ensue.
As for Barcelona, the Catalan giants remain adamant they will not sell Messi, according to Achraf Ben Ayad at beIN Sports. The Catalan giants insist the only way the Argentine can leave is if a team were to activate his €700 million release clause.
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Bartomeu Under Pressure
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu may be unwilling to sell Messi, but he has made it clear he will resign if necessary. The president is unpopular with supporters but is due to step down in early 2021 when elections will be held.
According to Lluis Mascaro at Sport, Messi has not responded to Bartomeu’s offer to resign but remains “determined to force through a move” before his contract expires at the end of next season.
Supporters have this week been out on the streets of Barcelona to voice their support for Messi and frustrations at Bartomeu over the saga. Some fans even managed to force their way into the Camp Nou.
Meanwhile, a motion of no confidence was brought against Bartomeu on Friday morning calling for the “immediate resignation of the current board of directors,” according to Sport. Yet the vote requires 16,000 signatures which could prove difficult due to the coronavirus pandemic.
What Next for Barcelona and Messi?
It’s still not entirely clear if Messi will leave Barcelona this summer. The forward appears determined to quit the club after almost two decades, but the Catalan giants appear equally determined to do all they can to keep hold of their greatest ever player.
French champions Paris Saint-Germain are an option but a move to Manchester City to reunite with former boss Pep Guardiola still appears the most likely destination if Messi does leave.
The Premier League side are confident the 33-year-old “would snub any other approach to join them if Barcelona soften their stance and decide to negotiate the sale,” according to ESPN’s Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden.
Yet Messi still needs to find a way out of Barcelona first and look keen to avoid legal action and what would be an ugly end to his extraordinary career at the Camp Nou.
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