Josep Maria Bartomeu is ready to step down from his role as president of Barcelona as Lionel Messi makes a U-turn on his decision to leave the club, sources told ESPN.
However, several sources claim that Messi’s decision is firm, that he believes Bartomeu does not need to act on a promise to stop.
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Messi surprised Barca on Tuesday when he told the club he wanted out. His decision sparked a wave of criticism of Bartomeu, with fans gathering at Camp Nou, calling for him to perform. A vote of no confidence was also cast against him.
TV3 first reported on Thursday that Bartomeu is ready to quit if it will convince Messi to stay at the club. Bartomeu, however, does not want to track down elections, currently scheduled for March, and would rather leave the club in the hands of the current board of directors.
The same sources reiterate that Barcelona’s position is that Messi’s rights are not for sale, regardless of the interests of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Messi has a contract until 2021 and a buy-out clause of € 700 million.
ESPN announced on Wednesday that City are the favorites to land Messi. Sources stated that City are ready to offer a deal that could see itself end its career at partner club New York City FC and could potentially spend up to € 150 million on the transfer.
Messi sent an office fax to the club on Tuesday announcing his intention to leave this summer. He said he would call up a clause that could leave him free.
The clause he referred to was included in his 2017 contract renewal and leaves him free at the end of each season. However, he must inform the club within a certain time limit, which Barca says ended in June.
Messi, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, has previously considered leaving Barcelona but has never taken his wish to leave so far to the club. He is aware that at 33 he will not have many more chances to add to the four Champions League titles he has already won, and he has decided that he will have another chance at more silverware elsewhere after a string of disappointments with Barca.
De Blaugrana last won the Champions League in 2015, but have since suffered a string of embarrassing exits. They conceded three goals in the first leg against AS Roma and Liverpool in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and were then beaten 8-2 by Bayern Munich in Lisbon last week. That has prompted plans for a revision of the team at Barca that could also include parting ways with Luis Suarez. Sources have confirmed to ESPN that Suarez, Messi’s best friend at the club, has been allowed to leave this summer.
Meanwhile, Messi has also become frustrated with the people in power in Barcelona, who interpret many as Bartomeu. Messi had a public outcry with former sporting director Eric Abidal earlier this year and criticized the board for trying to put pressure on players when they negotiated a pay cut due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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