The plot thickens!
In the latest development since his meeting with Bartomeu and the Barca board Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge – contrary to the subsequent rumors that had been circulating purportedly to the effect that Messi is seriously considering staying back at Barca for another year before leaving on a free transfer next year – has released a statement concerning his son’s future at the Blaugrana.
Speculation has been rife since Messi submitted a formal transfer request to the Blaugrana via burofax last Tuesday, stating his desire to terminate their 19-year collaboration before his contracted ended in 2021.
However, there has been debate surrounding a clause in Messi’s deal that would reportedly allow him to leave in the summer of 2020 for free.
La Liga weighed in on the issue and had originally backed Barcelona by officially acknowledging the €700 million release clause, but evidently not Messi’s father who has now fought back with an official letter to the LaLiga claiming that Spain’s top flight have gotten it wrong.
An image of the letter was uploaded by journalist Alfredo Martinez to his Twitter account on Friday afternoon amid spurious reports that Messi had committed a U-turn on deciding to leave Camp Nou.
Guillem Balague confirmed that the letter, written in Spanish, was submitted to La Liga and stated that they do not believe that Messi’s buyout clause should still be applicable.
Balague wrote:
“This is the letter that Jorge Messi just sent to LaLiga in which denies LaLiga interpretation that the €700m buyout clause is still applicable.
“Jorge insists it is not applicable from the end of last season if the player decides unilaterally to leave FCB.”
The following translation was offered by Fabrizio Romano:
“We do not know which contract they [Liga] have analysed, and which are the bases on which they conclude that it would have a termination clause applicable in the event that the player decides to urge the unilateral termination of the same.”
Another interpretation of the letter was offered by Dermot Corrigan who noted that the letter essentially stated:
“We don’t know what contract you’ve analysed… but you’ve made a clear error.”
Therefore, it now seems clear that Messi’s team categorically do not believe that clubs should have to foot the €700 million release clause in order to sign him this summer.
In other words, the likes of Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain should be able to sign Messi on a free transfer this summer with Jorge being unclear, and not in agreement, about the contract La Liga analysed and pronounced their opinion on.
This obviously could be massive, even epochnymous, in deciding whether Messi stays with Barcelona or not after all the recent suggestions that he had perhaps thrown in the towel and could stay back. Clearly the situation isn’t resolved by any means at all as far as Messi and his camp are concerned.
Which is hardly surprising as Messi is obviously dogged in his determination and resolve to leave Camp Nou come hell or high heaven and a desperate Barca board fronted by an even more desperate Bartomeu frantically waving a clause in the Argentine’s face is definitely not going to cut any ice with the GOAT.
One would expect the true fighter that Messi is, and has been all his celebrated career with 6 Ballon d’Ors, to have a better game plan and strategy than just meekly acknowlege defeat in the face of a weak, stuttering Barca board of ineffective nitwits whose only claim to fame is causing the inevitable implosion of the once great Blaugrana juggernauts.
Sock it to them, Lionel!