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Neither Lionel Messi nor his representatives have officially spoken to any other club about joining them when their contract expires, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Messi sent a burofax to Barcelona on August 25, 2020 requesting that the clause he had agreed with the club that allowed him to unilaterally terminate the contract he signed back in 2017 be activated.
Josep Maria Bartomeu, the president, replied that the aforementioned clause expired on June 10 and that if Messi wanted to leave the Camp Nou, he or one of his suitors would have to pay his termination clause of 700 million euros.
Image courtesy of Transfermarkt.
This was seen by Messi as a violation of the spirit of the agreement given the prolonged season that had just passed, and prompted the scathing interview the player gave Rubén Uría on September 4 where he announced that he would stay at the club against his Will.
Now the club is fully involved in the electoral process that is scheduled to begin in earnest on January 24, while Messi is free to negotiate with whomever he wants on January 1 as his contract expires in June.
All nine candidates have said they want the Argentine to sign a new contract at the Camp Nou, but the biggest obstacle to realizing that ambition is both his desire and his salary demands. Many are said to be in favor of a deferred compensation scheme but, to date, no one has spoken to Messi or his father and agent, Jorge.
Image courtesy of Bitter and Blue.
It is said that everything depends on the presidential race that ends on January 24. Joan Laporta, who knows Messi well, has assured that he is very clear that he will give Barcelona a chance before making a clear decision, pointing to the idea that the first serious conversation will be with the selected candidate.
This hope is accompanied by the information that neither Messi nor his father have officially spoken to any of the many clubs linked to him, and that Jorge has been in Rosario since September.
Much was said about Messi’s recent publication on Instagram, about the entire Barça team celebrating a goal against Real Sociedad together. His clash with Valencia this afternoon is important in his title ambitions, but these next few months are critical when it comes to the future of his captain.
Featured image courtesy of Fifa.
