That is not a typo. Some members of the Barcelona board are actually in favor of selling the clubs best ever players, and one of the top five players ever to have played this game.
New Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has publicly said he wants to build the team around Messi, but ESPN is reporting that some directors say that they would be prepared to listen to offers that would allow Koeman to rebuild the team at the same time as reducing the wage bill.
Does Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu really want to be remembered as the president who sold Lionel Messi?
Messi has grown frustrated with events on and off the pitch in recent seasons. He had a public falling-out with former sporting director Eric Abidal earlier this year and criticised the board for attempting to put pressure on the players when they were negotiating a wage cut due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On the pitch, Champions League exits against Roma and Liverpool have been followed by a first trophy-less season since 2007-08, with the humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich topping everything off.
RAC 1 first revealed on Thursday that Messi has already met with Koeman and informed him that he sees himself more out than in at Camp Nou after the Champions League quarterfinal defeat to Bayern.
ESPN added that Messi told Koeman that he doesn’t think that Barca can compete for the La Liga and Champions League titles next season if they sell Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba, among others.
However, at least one high-ranking source at the club is of the opinion that if Messi is not happy at Barcelona anymore then they should consider letting him go if a big offer arrives.
For the moment, no one has dared put a price on Messi’s head, and the club continue to point to his €700 million release clause, although he would be allowed to leave for free next summer as he is in the last year of this contract.
The clubs most heavily linked with a move for Messi are Manchester City and Inter Milan. The Barcelona connection at Man City makes them an obvious destination but don’t rule out Inter. Messi just bought a condo in the hear of Milan and if he can replicate what Diego Maradona at Napoli, win two Serie A titles, that will help him in his quest to be called the best Argentine player of all-time.
