Leo Messi and Barcelona seem to be getting more and more distant from each other. According to Catalan Radio RAC1 – a usually reliable source – the Barcelona captain met today with newly-appointed coach Ronald Koeman and shared with him that he sees his future away from Barca.
Koeman – who stepped into his new role yesterday – had reportedly requested an immediate meeting with La Pulga to address his future as a matter of priority. Messi cut his holiday short to meet with the new coach in a secret location.
According to RAC1, Messi said that he doesn’t see his future at Barcelona clear and that, at this moment, he sees himself more out of the club than in it. He also reportedly added that he understands how difficult it would be for him to leave because of his contractual conditions.
Messi still has one year of contract with Barcelona – a contract worth 110M euro with a clause of rescission of 700M euro. There are only a few clubs in Europe that could even only think about venturing into the idea of taking the six-time Ballon d’Or away from Barcelona. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are the ones with more cash availability.
Inter have also been rumored to be following very closely Messi’s afterthoughts. The Nerazzurri would be nowhere close to being able to pay Barcelona what needed to secure La Pulga‘s services. However, as we suggested on Tuesday, they could put on the table a swap-deal offer including 22-year-old striker Lautaro Martinez – who has been high in Barcelona’s wishlist for months.
As huge as Messi’s value is for Barcelona – when it comes to skills, charisma, and image – the Blaugrana know that it would be counterproductive to force such a larger-than-life figure to remain against his own will, with the risk of losing him for free the coming year. If Leo Messi really wants to leave, all parts – including himself – will need to compromise in some way.
That is, if Messi really wants to leave. The Barcelona captain is – understandably – still shocked and disappointed at the Blaugrana’s incredible 2-8 loss to Bayern Munich in Champions League. In the past, he has been known for taking such emotional decisions in the wake of disappointment, only to change his mind a few days later – think of when, in 2016, he announced his retirement from Argentina after losing a Copa America Final but reconsidered a few months later.
Regardless of whether he will change his mind again, one thing is for sure: In 19 years, Messi and the only club he played for in his career have never been so far from each other, and today’s rumors are enough to set the upcoming transfer market session on fire.