It’s over. Lionel Messi will no longer continue at Barcelona and will leave the club for pastures new according to a statement released by the Catalan giants on Thursday evening. Barcelona revealed that they reached an agreement with the Argentine to renew his expired contract, but that it couldn’t be confirmed due to economic and structural obstacles laid down by La Liga.
(🌕) Messi is very affected about the news of his ‘non-continuity’. The club has informed the player's father and agent, Jorge Messi, that it was impossible to register him. At the moment, he hasn’t opened negotiations with any other club. @EsportsRAC1 #Transfers 🇦🇷
— Reshad Rahman (@ReshadRahman_) August 5, 2021
The two clubs that have immediately come to mind as possible destinations for Messi are the same two who were so keen on him last summer; Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Sam Lee, however, a journalist that covers the former closely, said that “something mental” would have to happen for City to go for Messi again after twice failing to land him in the past, especially given how advanced their negotiations with Harry Kane are right now.
Ruben Uria, a well-connected Spanish journalist, then revealed that Messi still doesn’t know where he’s going to play this season. He had rejected several mouthwatering offers over the course of the past year in order to stay with Barcelona, but is now said to be open to listening to offers from other clubs.
This is very interesting. Real Madrid release a statement of opposition to La Liga's CVC investment plan. Which coincided with Barcelona's statement attacking La Liga's financial obstacles for them to re-sign Messi. A cynic could argue this is a co-ordinated attack on La Liga. https://t.co/31QtcJo7m4
— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) August 5, 2021
No sooner had the statement been released, however, that conspiracy theories began to emerge. RAC1, carried by Reshad Rahman, claimed that Messi was very affected by the news of his non-continuity, leading some to speculate whether this is a power-play from Barcelona to force La Liga to loosen their salary cap and make it easier for them to renew Messi.