[team 83] were humiliated by [team 503] in the [league 2]. Probably an even bigger humiliation is on its way as arguably the greatest player ever has requested to leave the club. [player 184798] has reportedly told the board of Barcelona that he wants to leave this summer.
A few hours ago, there was big news reporting that the President of FC Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu, said that he is ready to resign if Messi agrees to stay at Barca. According to ESPN’s Julien Lauran, Messi had a phone call with [player 186320] over [team 591]’s potential move. Several major European clubs have shown their interests. One of Barca’s former president said Messi has already decided his next club as “[team 2390].”
However, According to Marcy, [team 9] are the favorites to sign the Argentine. The Sun has reported that [league 455361] is willing to offer three players along with the transfer fees. The fee is expected to be extraordinarily high.
Several reports are suggesting that contact between Pep’s representatives and Messi has already taken place. However, there is not anything official about it so far. A move to City would see the Argentine reunite with Pep Guardiola. Messi would also play alongside his national colleague [player 1359].
How likely is it for Manchester City to get Messi?
However, the astronomical finances of the player could be a massive barrier in the whole process. Messi has a release clause of 700 million euros in his current contract. Apart from the transfer fee, his wages are ridiculously high to afford for any club. Manchester City have also been a high spending club since 2008. Still, spending 700 million only on transfer fees can be too high for anyone out there.
It was reported that Messi has a clause in his contract which allows him to leave Barca in 2020. However, that clause expired on June 10. Messi is reportedly arguing to extend the date because of the extension of the season through the pandemic.
There are some risky clauses involved!
However, According to The Athletic, Lionel Messi could be banned for six months and forced to pay 700 million euros if he leaves Barcelona on a free transfer. His next club might also face a two-window transfer ban if Messi loses the legal battle against Barcelona. So overall, multiple clauses and risky outcomes make a potential move highly unlikely. Still, we might some more twists and turns throughout the window as this could be a critical period for Barcelona.
