Barcelona has announced on Thursday that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi’s career with the club is over. Messi’s contract will not be renewed and he will leave the club despite both parties reaching an agreement earlier. The Argentinan striker will end his 20-year career with the club.
In a statement released, the club stated: “Although an agreement has been reached between FC Barcelona and Leo Messi it cannot be formalized due to economic and structural obstacles. Faced with this situation, Lionel Messi will not remain linked to Barcelona. Both sides deeply regret that the wishes of both the player and the club cannot come true.”
“As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the clubs and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life.”
Which club will Messi join?
Logically, there are only two clubs that could match his salary demands: Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City.
According to the reports, PSG has already started direct contact with the Barcelona striker. And if this happens he will be once again able to play alongside one of his closest friends, Neymar. Messi and Neymar spent four seasons together, winning the LaLiga title twice and the Champions League once.
Manchester City has agreed on a deal worth 118 million euros to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa. If Lionel Messi joins City, then he will be playing under Pep Guardiola again. Guardiola has never won the Champions League as a coach without Messi. So, will Pep Guardiola and City go for Messi and look to improve their record in the Champions League. It would be interesting to see. Both Pep and Leo have worked together for four years.