Barcelona's Lionel Messi dejected as walks after the end of a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Osasuna at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Thursday, July 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
After a humiliating 8-2 defeat against Bayern Munich last week, speculations about Lionel Messi parting ways with Barcelona have started to reignite. As per Spanish media reports, the Argentine forward is not happy with the way things are being managed at the club, indicating an end to his stay in the Catalan side.
Esporte Interativo correspondent Marcelo Bechler, who also was the first to reveal Neymar’s shock move to Paris Saint-Germain, claimed that the Argentine wanted to leave the club ‘immediately.’
Messi’s contract with Barcelona is due to expire next summer, but according to Bechler’s claim he no longer has faith in the way Blaugrana are managed internally and has conveyed to the management the desire to change clubs.
URGENTE! Conforme apuração EXCLUSIVA do nosso correspondente @MarceloBechler, Messi quer DEIXAR o Barcelona IMEDIATAMENTE! Insatisfeito com a administração e falta de planejamento, o craque argentino já comunicou à direção o desejo de mudar de clube. pic.twitter.com/yGBdOAVf9j
— Esporte Interativo (de 🏠) (@Esp_Interativo) August 16, 2020
Barcelona, however, have put a humongous 700 million pound buyout clause on Messi, which means only the footballer can initiate a move by applying a transfer request.
Sunday Mirror reported that Manchester City are the lead runners in the race to sign Messi. Many believe a reunion with Pep Guardiola can tempt ‘the Messiah’ to the Etihad, who are also prepared meet the latter’s demands.
Mundo Deportivo, a Spanish newspaper, however, reported that Messi is among the five players that Barcelona plan to retain this summer.
Earlier this year Messi had criticised the club’s sporting director Eric Abidal for saying many in the squad were not working hard under former coach Ernesto Valverde.