This time the paths of Barcelona and Leo Messi separate for real. The Catalan club has, in fact, issued an official statement to announce the break with the Argentine champion, confirming that the negotiations for the renewal have failed “due to financial and structural obstacles” (with reference to the regulations of the Spanish Liga which imposes a salary cap on each club).
“Although Barcelona and Lionel Messi have reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen due to financial and structural obstacles,” Barcelona said in an official statement.
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«As a result of this situation – we still read – Messi will not stay in Barcelona. Both sides deeply regret that ultimately the wishes of the player and the club cannot be fulfilled. Barcelona expresses from the bottom of their hearts their gratitude to the player for his contribution to the expansion of the club and wishes him all the best for his future in personal and professional life ».
Messi was free to negotiate a transfer with other clubs after his contract expired at the end of June, but Barcelona had always claimed they still wanted him in their squad. In the decisive meeting with Jorge Messi, father and agent of the champion, according to the reconstructions of the Catalan media, under pressure from La Liga the club would have asked for a significant reduction in the salary (71 million euros), which would have sent the 34-year-old into a rage footballer bringing the negotiation to a point of no return.
Messi had already tried to leave Barcelona in August 2020, making a formal request to leave after the breakup of his relationship with the then president Josep Maria Bartomeu, but his successor Joan Laporta, had convinced him to stay. La Pulce, who has played with the blaugrana colors since the age of 13, is the club’s all-time top scorer, with 672 goals in 778 games. For now, he remains without a club ahead of the 2021-22 season, becoming the most coveted and expensive free agent in football history.