Most soccer fans knew this day would come, but few could have expected it to be so soon. After FC Barcelona’s embarrassing 8-2 thrashing at the hands of the Champions League winners Bayern Munich in the tournament’s quarterfinals, it appears that superstar Lionel Messi may be closing the chapter on a journey he began at the age of thirteen.
Reports from multiple sources indicate that the Argentine maestro is pushing for the move away from Spain to happen immediately, even threatening to utilize a clause in his contract that would see him walk away as a free man with Barcelona receiving no compensation. This may be a bit of a stretch, with some outlets reporting that this particular clause expired in June, but one thing is abundantly clear…
Messi’s relationship with club President Josep Bartomeu and the entire board is unsalvageable at this point, and they will likely have no choice but to answer to the 33-year-old’s demands.
LOGISTICALLY SPEAKING
In a normal year, there would be only a select few clubs with the financial power to fund a transfer for Messi, let alone one marred by a pandemic that has left many prestigious clubs in disarray. For one, he is rumored to be making north of $100 million(!) a year in just wages, which is a figure he would be unlikely to want to lower at this stage of his career. That is an unbelievable amount for even the largest of clubs to stomach, although it becomes a bit more palatable when you are talking about one of the greatest and most marketable players of all time.
If Messi is unable to terminate his contract, things get even more expensive. Per the contract he signed in 2017, his release clause is set at an astonishing $825 million, which is basically a giant middle finger from Barcelona to everyone else (I mean, we’re talking about the club that gave Sergi Roberto a $600 million release clause). As for the price that the Catalan giants would actually accept, it is anyone’s guess at this point. $150 million? $200 million? Whatever it is, it is going to rival the largest transfers ever.
So, what are his options here? Paris Saint-Germain? They definitely check the “wealthy” box, but this wouldn’t be much of a challenge for Messi and even PSG are struggling a bit financially at this time.
Inter Milan? This is an interesting rumor, but I don’t think it has much traction. There are much better squads that he could opt to represent, and I would be shocked if the Italian club could figure out the monetary side of things.
What about Juventus? Imagine the scenes of the two superstars who have locked horns their entire careers, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, sharing the pitch together on a week-to-week basis. It’s a fun little scenario to daydream about, but again unlikely.
Realistically, it is more likely for Messi to force Bartomeu and the entire board out of Barcelona and to sign a new contract than join most of the clubs with which he is being mentioned. However, one club seems to just be “the one.”
A BEAUTIFUL REUNION?
Manchester City, enter stage left. Ranked as one of the top five richest clubs in world football, this is a destination that actually has potential. Holding the title of highest net spend in the last decade-plus and spending over $1.5 billion while only bringing in around $400 million from player sales of their own, the oil-rich powerhouse will not be discouraged by a transfer fee.
The narrative gets juicier when you consider the manager, Pep Guardiola, managed Messi at Barcelona from 2008-2012 and won fourteen honours, including two Champions League trophies. These were some of the greatest teams the sport has ever seen, and the relationship between Guardiola and his main man was a huge reason why.
Pep has yet to taste this same European success since he took over in Manchester in 2016, failing to advance past the semifinals despite consistently being one of the favorites. What better way to get over the hump than tossing in the potential GOAT into the starting eleven?
Reports suggest that Messi may be willing to sign a contract that keeps him in the Premier League for three seasons before joining New York City FC, who are an affiliate club of Manchester City. We have long heard murmurs that Messi and Ronaldo would be interested in moving to the MLS at the twilight of their careers, so this setup makes perfect sense.
A move to the blue side of Manchester looks like the most appealing option from both the player and club’s perspective, and it would do wonders for competition in the league. While Liverpool ran away with the title in 2019/20, this move would well and truly make it a title fight in 2020/21 with other clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United strengthening as well.
Plus, we’d finally get to see if Messi could get the job done on a cold and rainy Wednesday night at Burnley.
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