The meeting between the board of Barcelona and the representatives of Lionel Messi has ended without an agreement with the club unwilling to negotiate on his €700m release clause.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is said to be leading attempts for the Argentine star to change his mind and commit his future to the Camp Nou.
Bartomeu led the club in the meeting with Jorge Messi – the father and agent of Lionel – who flew from Argentina on Tuesday evening to hold talks regarding his son’s future with the club’s board.
Earlier on Wednesday, Jorge Messi then said that it was “difficult” for his son to remain at the Camp Nou but clarified that no talks had opened with any other clubs, including Manchester City.
The 33-year-old has a clause in his deal allowing him to leave at the end of any season, and whilst it was thought that deadline passed in June, Marca have reported his camp believe that it has been extended in line with the prolonged 2019/20 season.
The legalities of Messi’s contractual situation are set to now play a key role with reports claiming his €700m release clause at the club is no longer valid.
However, talks between the two to reach a compromise to allow the 33-year-old to leave for a transfer fee – but well below his unattainable release clause – appear to have ended in stalemate without any progression.
That is according to both El Mundo Deportivo and Diario Sport who say that there was no agreement between the club and Messi’s father, who attended the meeting alongside his other son and a family lawyer.
Barcelona are said to be hopeful of Messi agreeing a new two-year contract with the club, despite the player’s seeming insistence upon leaving.
