If we’re speaking percentages then Manchester Metropolis are very a lot in the driving seat to be Lionel Messi’s subsequent membership.
And, maybe most intriguingly of all, Juventus are actually taking a look at the massively unlikely situation of organising some very daring monetary offers and sponsorships that might see Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo enjoying collectively for the first time.
What a mouth-watering prospect that might be. Nevertheless it is additionally near unattainable.
At the finish of per week of numerous headlines and rumours, there are two issues we now positively know above the rest, particularly that Messi very a lot desires to go away Barcelona and Barcelona would very very similar to him to remain.
That is the easy evaluation of what guarantees to turn into an much more sophisticated situation than it already is.
And the cause for that is that each side are ABSOLUTELY satisfied that the clause of 10 June – the one that allows Messi to go away free of charge – provides them the proper to defend their place.
Messi thinks he can stroll away for nothing as a result of that date was supposed to be, successfully, the finish of the season, however due to coronavirus the marketing campaign ended up ending a lot later, on 23 August with the Champions League last, two days earlier than Messi let Barcelona know of his intentions in an official approach (extra on that later).
Barcelona firmly consider that the time for him to declare his intentions to go away has elapsed and that he is contracted till the finish of subsequent season.
The legal professionals might be licking their lips in anticipation
Messi want to go away on the finest phrases potential. From his aspect nothing has modified.
Barcelona, in the meantime, have merely mentioned that he is not on the market – until in fact somebody thinks at this stage it is value shelling out the 700m euros that is written into his buyout clause – and subsequently see no level in any additional conferences at this stage.
Messi is very eager to not go away the membership in a foul approach, not due to the board, however actually due to the respect he has for the membership and its followers.
Many individuals have targeted on the burofax despatched to the membership informing them formally that he wished to go away, claiming it was a disrespectful approach of handing in his discover. It was nothing of the type however quite no kind of than written affirmation – a type of recorded supply – that informs in writing what Messi had advised the membership verbally on quite a few events since he ceased negotiations for renewal round March.
The burofax was only a logical step alongside the approach, with a gathering to attempt to prepare an exit in a pleasant approach being the subsequent logical step. Messi’s technique has been unchanged all through. The change can be if he determined to go to warfare with the membership.
The Argentine now has no plans to make any statements in the fast future, actually not whereas there are nonetheless so many issues to debate and every little thing is up in the air. At such a time that issues begin to transfer in the proper path then he might be ready to elucidate his emotions, however not earlier than.
And on Sunday the staff has to do their pre-season assessments and coaching begins on Monday.
Rumours that Manchester Metropolis can be ready to let any of their common starters go in trade for Messi are approach off the mark. Angelino or Eric Garcia may function in a deal for the participant however no membership is going to have the ability to pay a transfer price of 100m euros plus his wages, even considering that these wages might be diminished wherever he goes subsequent.
Barcelona won’t settle for a swap of gamers. They don’t want anybody from Metropolis, they don’t need to promote and would solely be ready to fulfill with Messi so as to renew his contract and to not negotiate a approach out.
All people is positioning on clear phrases.
All that makes the decision unattainable to foretell. Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu fairly clearly doesn’t need to be the president who lets Messi go.
However in coming to that conclusion, who is he fascinated about?
Definitely not the membership, as a result of as issues stand he plans to maintain an sad participant locked right into a membership the place he does not need to be and who can go away free of charge in 12 months.
Messi’s departure would enable Barcelona to let different gamers develop and develop subsequent season. And what gamers they’re! Frenkie de Jong, Miralem Pjanic, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho, Gerard Pique and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen to call just some… They would wish both now or in the close to future to purchase a powerful central midfielder and a centre-again however all that is solely doable.
To insist on the thought of not letting Messi go is an absurdity and exhibits a brief-sightedness on the a part of Bartomeu.
We wait to see what occurs subsequent, beginning with whether or not Messi turns up for coaching on Monday.
