According to reports in the Spanish media, Messi, whose contract runs out in May 2021, faxed a message to Barcelona on Tuesday night, asking to be released immediately by triggering a rare clause, which will allow making his exit smooth.
Lionel Messi has reportedly told the Spanish club that he wants to exit the team. Ten days after Barcelona lost 2-8 to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal of the Champions League.
Messi has also informed Barcelona that he will not undergo and get the COVID-19 test done this weekend, which is mandatory for all at the club before they resume training for next season.
Since Messi is one of the expensive players in the club and also his buyout package is a lot hefty, which makes his normal transfer unaffordable to many other club options. However, as per the contract, Messi is liable to inform the club on or before May 31, the date when a football contract generally ends worldwide, as it marks the end of a season.
Barcelona was leading the Spanish League, which had been suspended, and still in contention in the Champions League, where they had drawn the first leg of their quarterfinal with Napoli 1-1. Now that the season is officially over, Messi has triggered the clause. This year, because of the pandemic, the football season did not end by May 31.
In Messi’s case, the release clause is set at 700 million euros. That means, if a club manages to cough up that much money, Barcelona will be obliged to sell the player. In football, a buyout clause in a contract indicates an asking price set, which if met in a transfer bid, must be accepted by the club.
The two Manchester clubs City and United have shown interest in signing Messi. Multiple reports in the Spanish and English press have reported it.
Messi was unhappy that in the last five years, the club let go of several key players, including Brazilian star Neymar, who was sold to French side Paris Saint-Germain. Tensions peaked a few weeks ago when the talks between the Barca board and players could not reach an agreement on a pay-cut following the outbreak of the pandemic. Messi spoke openly against the management for the first time, saying in a social media post that “certain people in the club were trying to cast a few players in an unfavorable light”.
There have also been several counterclaims that Messi was part of the problem in Barcelona due to his high wages, which severely affected the club’s finances.
