Any club in the world would want Lionel Messi to play for them. But the situation is very complicated and there are only a few football clubs that Messi can play for. So, where will he go?
Messi has been following English football for many years and he has a good knowledge of the league. This is largely due to his compatriot and friend Sergio Aguero of Argentina and Cesc Fabregas of Spain. Both players have spent a lot of time in England.
Aguero plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City, while Fabregas played as a midfielder for London club Chelsea. The rumors of Messi’s signing with Manchester City can also be believed because there is coach Pep Guardiola who also managed Messi’s Barcelona.
In addition, there are a few people in the Manchester City administration who have been with Barcelona in the past and Messi knows them well and these people helped him too in the beginning of his much celebrated career at Barcelona.
Another important reason is that Manchester City are among the few clubs that are financially strong enough to sign the maestro. In addition, Messi knows that coach Pep Guardiola, after the arrival of Messi, will form a team structure around him that will make his game shine. This has not been seen in Barcelona in the last few years.
Some sources in Spain are also saying that Manchester City is also facing competition from their biggest rival in the city, Manchester United. A Spanish TV channel claimed on Tuesday that Manchester United were seriously trying to attract Messi. Manchester United fans are calling the news ridiculous as the club has not had a good record in the transfer market in recent times.
But in March of this year, the American football club Tampa Bay Buccaneer signed a contract with the greatest player in American football, Tom Brady. Tom Brady is considered one of the greatest players in the history of American football, and the owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer are the same Glazer family that owns Manchester United.
It is said that when they are going to do something big, they do not back down. Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are also said to be interested in signing Messi. There are no concerns about Messi that he will face difficulties in English culture as his children are studying in a British school on the outskirts of Barcelona.
On the other hand, after losing in the Champions League final in Europe, French club Paris Saint-Germain must be thinking that with Messi, their chances of winning the Champions League next season will increase. Like Manchester City, PSG also have the financial muscle to sign the stalwart. The opportunity for Messi to play for PSG is also attractive because of the presence of his old teammate Neymar, whose departure from Barcelona in 2017 made Messi really angry.
In addition, after losing in the Europa League final last week, the Italian team Inter Milan could also join the race to sign him. Inter is owned by Chinese investment company Suning Holdings and is eager to end Juventus’ lead in the Italian League Serie A.
According to sources, club president Steven Zhang has also talked to Messi’s team in this regard. These rumors may be true because it could lead to another much famed face-off between Messi and Ronaldo, this time in the Italian league.
There were also rumors that Messi had moved to Real Madrid, Barcelona’s biggest rival. But Messi’s team immediately denied it. No matter how angry he may be with his childhood club Barcelona, it’s a step he can’t take.
The romantic end of Messi’s career will be when he returns to his first club Naval Old Boys in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina. In this regard, Messi has repeatedly said that he will definitely play for the club before saying goodbye to football. But at the same time, he has expressed security concerns for himself and his children in the current situation there.
Messi believes he still has the ability to play first-class football and that is why he will definitely choose a top-class league. That is why Messi will certainly not turn to Asia like Xavi and Iniesta, who played with him in Barcelona, have mentioned the pleasant experience of playing football in Qatar and Japan.
But most importantly, the two players themselves have admitted that when they left Barcelona, their ability to play had diminished with age. But Messi insists he can still play at elite level. After years of disappointment at Barcelona, Messi still wants to win the Champions League.
Will Messi Stay at Barcelona?
Messi’s request to leave Barcelona seems real, but we cannot ignore the fact that Messi might stay with Barcelona and does not go anywhere else. Tuesday’s news may be the last attempt to remove the club’s president, Joseph Maria Bartomeu, from his post. Messi has not been happy with him for the past few years and he has mentioned it bluntly. But even if the president of Barcelona does not resign, it will not be easy for him to get rid of Barcelona.
The club’s president is known to enjoy fighting legal battles and will use the 700 million Euros release clause in Messi’s contract against him in court. In football, every major player has a release clause in their contract, a clause that players can use to leave the team.
Under this provision, the player is included in the contract as part of the proceeds from the sale at the time of transfer. For example, if another club wants to buy Messi directly, they can buy him from Barcelona for 700 million euros.
But under Messi’s contract, if he informs the club, he can go to another club without any money transfer. Messi’s contract runs until 2021. But if Barcelona president Joseph Maria Bartmo fights a long court battle with Messi, fans may not see him play football next season.
