Messi leaves Barcelona after contract talks break down

Lionel Messi will no longer be a part of FC Barcelona, the club confirmed the news in an official statement. This news has been an absolute shock for every football fan around the world, no one saw it coming, especially after reports said that the Barca legend was very close to signing an extension with the club. His contract was going to expire this summer, but he was reportedly signing a new contract that said that Lionel would stay for another 3 years or so. Messi and his agent held talks with the club, but they didn’t go the way the club expected it would and thus, it has been officially confirmed that Lionel Messi would be leaving the club after serving the club for decades.

No one saw this radical turnout in the Messi transfer saga, it was only until a Spanish newspaper ‘Marca’ confirmed that the meeting had not gone Barca’s way and that the contract talks fell out. This reportedly happened due to Barca’s financial conditions, the club is in a dire situation financially and thus couldn’t afford the Argentine’s high wages.

The statement released by the club said ‘Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations)’

Messi will now be a free agent, which means any club can approach him and acquire his services.

What next for Lionel Messi?

The 34-year-old will now be looking for a suitable club that can afford his high wages, are competitive, and can meet his requirements. Two very likely clubs that emerge for Lionel are Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, both the clubs will be looking to pounce on this opportunity and acquire the services of the maestro. Both the clubs have failed to win a Champions League, something they would be hunting for with Lionel in their squad.