The latest news on Lionel Messi’s future at Barcelona is worrying for all Barcelona fans. Messi leaving Barcelona is not something to contemplate, though we know one day it will happen.
But we might have to start thinking about it, as the latest Lionel Messi news update is not a great one if you’d like to see the Argentine superstar stay at the Nou Camp.
According to Catalan radio stadium RAC1, Messi returned early from his planned vacation to meet with new Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman who was recently unveiled .
According to the report, Messi told Koeman that he is having serious doubts about his future at Barcelona as the legendary figure has been critical of the board, his teammates and just about everybody else in-between over the last 12 months. After collapsing at Roma and Liverpool in shocking fashion in recent Champions League campaigns, the latest debacle saw Barca obliterated by Bayern Munich and that was the last straw for many. Messi included, perhaps.
The report believes Messi’s current mindset is that he is “more out of the club than in it.”
Messi, 33, has been at Barcelona his entire career and his current contract runs until the summer of 2021. Barcelona have a $825 million release clause in his contract, so it’s unlikely he will leave this summer as even the two clubs he’s linked with (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City) can’t pay that kind of transfer fee. But will Barcelona really stand in his way if he wants to leave?
Messi has won everything with Barcelona: six Ballon d’Or’s to his name and will always be a legend at the club, no matter what happens in the next 12 months.
Koeman, Bartomeu and the whole of Barcelona will spend the next few months trying to convince Messi that he should stay at the Nou Camp but there’s no doubt that the noises coming from those around Messi suggest he could be ready to check out.
