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It will be difficult for Lionel Messi to remain at Barcelona after he made public his desire to leave the Spanish club, his father and agent Jorge Messi said today when he arrived in the city to negotiate his son’s future.
After flying in a private jet, Jorge Messi is expected to meet with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu later on Wednesday to discuss his son’s future, Spanish media reported.
A spokesman for the club declined to comment.
The six-time world player of the year insists he has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave with a free transfer, a claim disputed by Barcelona and La Liga, who say the Argentine can only leave if a rival club is willing to do so. . pay a buyout clause of 700 million euros.
Barcelona say the clause expired in June, but Messi believes it remains valid due to the altered nature of Covid-19 from the previous season.
“I don’t know, I don’t know anything,” Messi’s father told Spanish television channel Cuatro when asked if the 33-year-old would leave the only club he has played for professionally.
“But when he was pressured if it would cost him to stay, he said ‘yes’. And when asked how he sees Messi’s future at Barcelona, he replied ‘difficult, difficult’.
Messi Snr dodged questions about whether Manchester City would be a good fit for his son. A move to Manchester City would allow Messi to bond with his former Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola.
“I don’t know, there’s still nothing,” he said, adding that he hadn’t had any conversations with Guardiola, who enjoyed trophy-laden years as Barcelona coach with Messi in his pomp.
Messi did not show up on Monday for the first training session of the season with new coach Ronald Koeman.
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