Following the ongoing battle between Lionel Messi and his club Barcelona, the 33-year-old player might see the remaining one year of his contract at Camp Nou before leaving on a free transfer next season.
According to TyC Sports, Martín Arévalo, the same publication which first broke the news of Messi handing in his transfer request, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will spend Thursday contemplating his next move while going through his options.
Both Barcelona and La Liga have rejected that standpoint, insisting that the only way Messi can force an exit is if his €700m release clause is paid. That was the message relayed to Messi’s father, Jorge, when he met with club officials on Wednesday.
Messi has demanded to be allowed to leave to a different club but Barcelona are more keen on keeping him at Camp Nou till 2022, hoping to renew his current contract.
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Several clubs including Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Inter Milan have been linked to the Argentine. What may deter others from approaching his signature aggressively is the astronomical release clause which Barca claim is part of his current deal.
If a club manages to pay the Spanish giants 700 million euros, they will have to legally sell Messi.
However, according to The Telegraph, the forward can also leave for a significantly less amount than what his current club are demanding should a compromise be reached.
Messi may leave for just €100 million should the two parties agree. Also Read – Everton Set To Confirm The Signing Of Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric when weigh-in on the situation also said that if the transfer happens, the prestige of La Liga will be hugely affected.
“If it happens it will be a huge loss for the prestige of the league,” Modric told AFP.
“But we need to go forward. Other players will become stars. When Ronaldo left, the same thing happened, the life of Real Madrid went on without him and it will be the same for Barcelona and La Liga without Messi.”
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