Lionel Messi Tells Barcelona He's Leaving: What's Next for Him?
The rocky relationship between Argentine football star Lionel Messi and Futbol Club Barcelona's management has come to a head after the team captain told the Catalan club early this week that he was leaving.
Messi's decision finally ended months of speculation about his future with the club. However, the football community now wonders where Messi would be going next and what club he would be playing for after leaving Barcelona?
The Barcelona captain had informed the club of his decision to leave via a "burofax," the equivalent of a certified mail in the United States. Barcelona confirmed on August 25 that it received the document, as reported by Sky Sports.
According to the document, Messi wanted to exercise a release clause in his contract that would allow him to leave this summer for free, which means the club will not get any compensation.
Will Barcelona allows Messi to walk away from them considering his the world's best football player with six Ballon d'Or awards? Barcelona was said to be preparing its response, and it will not likely be favorable to what Messi wants.
The release clause stipulates that Messi can leave for free as long as he tells the club of his intentions before the season ends. However, the season's end has been delayed after the COVID-19 pandemic suspended all sporting activities back in March and extended the ongoing season.
Under normal conditions, the season would have ended in June. The New York Times reported that the club is likely to argue when the exact end of the season is.
Where Will Lionel Messi Go Next?
Messi is one of the highest-paid football players in the world. He had signed a four-year extension deal with Barcelona back in 2017 that reportedly earns him $645,000 a week.
The question is not whether there is a club interested in signing him up but rather what club can afford him.
Inter Milan is interested in luring the Argentine football star to Italy and Serie A, where his greatest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, is now playing as a Juventus member.
The Sun has reported that Inter Milan is preparing to offer Messi a four-year deal worth $307 million.
Other clubs that could afford him are PSG for which his close friend and former Barca teammate Neymar plays for, and Manchester City.
Messi's Increased Dissatisfaction With Barcelona
Last July, Messi shocked the football community worldwide when it was reported that he refused to sign an extension contract with Barcelona, the only club he has ever played for since he was a teenager.
He was reported to be dissatisfied with the decisions that the club has been making. Since then, the Argentine football star had ripped at the club's management and even his teammates when they missed out on the La Liga title that went to its archrival, Real Madrid.
There was a momentary breath of relief when Barcelona made it to the Champions League quarterfinals. But it was to be the club's last hurrah in a season made bizarre by the COVID-19 as they suffered a humiliating 8-2 defeat at the hands of eventual champions Bayern Munich.
The loss extended Barcelona's title drought in the Champion's League to five years as the last time they won it was in 2015. It will also be the first since the 2007-2008 season that Messi and Barcelona had not won a single trophy.