Rumors and speculations have been surrounding FC Barcelona as they end their season on a dim note. Things haven't been looking good for a long time, and multiple reliable sources from the club have been speaking to publications such as Reuters with news that isn't that shocking if we're honest. Less than two weeks since their devastating and embarrassing loss against the winners of the UEFA Champions League, Lionel Messi told Barca that he wants out.
A source from the club has told Reuters that the Argentinian team captain of FC Barcelona has expressed his desire to leave the club through a burofax. A burofax is an official document frequently used in Spain that would require a third party or court to acknowledge it.
Another source mentioned that during their last contract signing, a clause was added that Messi would be able to leave the club without repercussions or penalties. However, this clause expired last June 10, 2020. Messi's current contract will end this coming June 30, 2021. This means that if Messi wants to leave Barca right now without the club's consent, a rival club willing to take him in would have to pay his release clause amounting to 700 million Euros.
It may be no coincidence that Messi submitted his burofax a day after the media reported that Barca's new coach, Ronald Koeman, told Messi's teammate and close friend, Luis Suarez, that he did not want the Uruguayan to remain with the club.
Troubling years and season
It is no secret that Barca has been a mess over the past couple of years due to several factors, but fingers all seem to point towards management. Earlier this year, Messi expressed that the team needed to be better if they wanted any shot of returning to their glory days. The Argentinian is 33 years old now, and Barca can't keep on relying on him to make the big shots and carry the team for them.
After losing La Liga to Real Madrid last July, Messi exploded in an interview describing the team as "vulnerable" and "weak." Former Barca captain, Carles Puyol, and Suarez both expressed their support for the Argentinian after the interview.
The final straw was probably their humiliating loss against FC Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League's quarterfinals. We all knew that it would take a miracle for Barca to beat the relentless Bavarians in this match. So the odds were definitely against them. But no one thought that they would be humiliated like this. Barca conceded a total of 8 goals to Bayern and was sent home from Lisbon with a painful defeat.
Where to next?
Now that we know Messi wants out, the next question is, where is he going? There is no obvious answer where he would go, but we know that everyone would want to have the superstar. At this point, we don't know where he wants to go, but its always fun to speculate.
Man City would be a viable choice to pair with Messi. They have the Champions League ambition and capacity. They also have the financial capability to sign Messi. Or maybe Juventus might think about signing him and pairing him with Cristiano Ronaldo. There's also the possibility of him heading over to PSG and work with Neymar and Mbappe. For all we know, he could work things out with Barcelona and stay with the team.
Moving forward with Messi's request may be quite tricky, though. Barca would probably push to follow their contract down to the dot, so lawyers may be brought in to discuss.
Image Copyright: FC BARCELONA NEWS
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