Messi Wants to Leave Barca – What Are His Options?

Lionel Messi, arguably the world’s greatest player right now, informed Barcelona’s board that he wants to leave the club. Furthermore, the Argentinian did that via mail.

It seems that the frustrations experienced over the last three years were just too much for him, and that he wants to spend his remaining playing years at a club that can provide him a chance to fight for trophies.

Messi has a clause in his contract to leave Camp Nou, and he intends to do that. At the moment, Barcelona’s management is having an urgent meeting discussing what to do next. According to various sources, the no.10 is firmly resolved to move on.

Some believe that this is just a way of putting pressure on the club’s leaders, who would then react and make the team able to attack the Champions League once more. Messi is unhappy with the roster for quite some time, and was publicly showing his discontent on numerous occasions.

The clause in his contract is allowing Messi to leave the club without any compensation, only if he addresses the club about his decision before June. That deadline is passed, but his legal representatives are ready to get into a clinch with Barcelona and dispute that article, with the extraordinary situation that happened this year.

Barcelona suffered painful losses in the Champions League in the previous three campaigns. At first, there was Roma, a year after that spectacular blow at Anfield against Liverpool, and recently an 8-2 humiliation vs. Bayern Munich.

That defeat was a definite sign that an era of Barca’s dominance has passed, and that the team from Catalonia has to reconsider its future. This current moment, is the turning point that will determine the future.

Lionel Messi has asked to leave Barcelona. He is the club's all-time leader in …
• Goals
• Titles
• League wins pic.twitter.com/DPMNdJHKZI

— ESPN (@espn) August 25, 2020

It would be very interesting to see what would be Messi’s next destination. Several teams are in options, and two of the most frequent names are Manchester City and Inter Milan.

The Citizens are hoping that Pep Guardiola’s presence as the manager could lure his former player to Etihad. As known. Man City doesn’t have problems with finances, and whichever sum Messi asks wouldn’t create problems. What is going against City is the harsh tempo and style of play in England, which isn’t suiting for already a veteran.

On the other side, Inter is ready to splash the cash too. Nerazzurri are craving to get back on top of both Italian and European football, and they won’t hesitate to pay if he agrees to land in Milan. The rumors about that appeared following Argentinian’s real estate purchase once he acquired a house near Inter’s training facilities.
It was something that set the internet on fire and created numerous speculations in the football community.

The other couple of options, considered to have slim chances than the above-mentioned two, are Messi’s anding in Paris and going back home to Argentina. PSG also doesn’t have any financial issues, and they too want to win the Champions League. The Saints already have Neymar and Di Maria to whom Messi played before, and the French championship wouldn’t take too much energy from him.

Going back home is the least possible scenario. Even though the player indicated on several occasions that he wants to spend the last few years in his homeland, it is hard to believe that he might forgo at least two more years of playing top-level football only to finish his career in Argentina.