A ‘release clause’ in the contract allowing him to leave the club at the end of a season accompanied by various media reports and interviews have triggered a question of Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona.
Every year there are speculations surrounding the future of great Lionel Messi. Barcelona’s number 10 Messi has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave at the end of every season – this often leads to stories getting cooked up every now & then around his future at Barcelona.
Messi’s annual wages stand at a staggering 82 million Euros. Not every club can pay his bills. Therefore, there are very few options on the table for the world’s greatest footballer.
Messi has played for the same club unlike his counterpart Cristiano Ronaldo who has conquered three European leagues and is still going strong. However, time might have come for Leo to take a leap. Will Messi opt for a new challenge? And what could be his next possible destination? Let’s take a look.
Highlights! Is Messi playing his last season at Barcelona?
- What leads Messi to contemplate an exit from the club that raised him?
- What can be the possible destinations for the Barcelona star?
- Is the six-time Ballon d’Or winner looking to follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo?
A flight to England?
The team with the highest probability of pulling off such a coup is Manchester City – the reason being their style of play, which is quite suited to Messi. Another reason is his admiration for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have the ability to break the bank.
However, it’s the same ability that has imposed a 2-year ban from Champions League for Manchester City. It is the only thing that goes against them, so ETIHAD might have to wait.
In the past couple of years, Messi has expressed his desire to lift the UCL. But Barcelona has been eliminated in humiliating ways from UCL in the past few years. This makes it even more a matter of pride for the club prodigy.
Manchester United is another club that is linked with La Pulga. The top management intends to sell Paul Pogba. And despite all the tantrums, he won’t sell cheap. So it might be a possibility but it all depends if they manage to grab a spot in the top 4.
Re-union with Ronaldo
Why aren’t Lionel Messi and his arch-rival playing in the same league?
Is it a possibility? Yes. And the top contender from Serie A is Napoli. They have been showing great signs of improvement. They got past Juventus and Liverpool earlier this season which shows how they raise their game against big opponents and the little magician can be the final piece in the puzzle.
So will Messi follow in Diego Maradona’s footsteps? There is a slim chance of this happening. However, in football one never knows.
The current scenario at Barcelona
Barcelona recently appointed Quique Setien as their head coach. It’s evident that he suits better to club’s philosophy of football and needs no introduction as he managed to secure wins at Santiago Bernabeu and Camp Nou when managing Real Betis.
The signings of Frankie De Jong and Antoine Greizmann show the intent of the top management which is quite aligned with their talisman. Neymar’s strained relationship with PSG Boss and his interest in coming back to Camp Nou are strong enough reasons for Messi to stay. Now the second half of the season holds the key for Lionel Messi’s future at Barcelona, the club that raised him.
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