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      Lionel Messi ‘to be offered two-year Barcelona deal in showdown talks with Bartomeu but he will demand to leave on FREE’

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      LIONEL MESSI is set to be offered a new two-year deal when he sits down for showdown talks with Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
      But rather than negotiate over a new deal, Messi and his dad will instead demand the club allow him to leave for free, according to reports.

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      Lionel Messi is on course to quit Barcelona after nearly 20 years at the club after falling out with the boardCredit: AP:Associated Press
      The Barcelona icon, 33, is set to quit his childhood club after nearly 20 years following a major fall out with the hierarchy.
      And according to ESPN, his dad Jorge will sit down with Bartomeu on Wednesday.
      The president wants to get Messi to sign a new contract for two years, with his current deal expiring next summer.
      But even though the Nou Camp side are desperate to do everything in their power to keep their greatest player, it appears the damage is already done.

      Messi’s mind is set – he wants to leave.
      But the two sides face a legal battle to determine whether or not the Argentine legend is able to leave for free or if Barcelona can still demand the £625million release clause they believe they are entitled to.
      Superstar Messi did not report to training yesterday – nor Sunday’s coronavirus testing for the squad – as Ronald Koeman took his first session with his new team without the influential club captain.
      He is set to incur “serious penalties” as a result of his actions with talk of a suspension and a £1.1m fine.

      However, Messi believes he is no longer an employee of the club although Barca chiefs insist he is still the captain.
      Barcelona presidential candidate Toni Freixa reckons the star man will go and says the legend’s wish to leave is “irrevocable”.
      Freixa, who is in the running to replace Bartomeu at the end of his term, told Goal:  “As I have heard from several sides, the decision the player has come to is one that has matured over several years and is irrevocable.

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      Ronald Koeman began his tenure at Barcelona by taking his first training session without the club captain

      “I don’t believe that there is any going back.”
      Now if Messi does indeed leave, Manchester City are reportedly ready to offer Messi an incredible £450m over five years.
      Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri even suggested that the club would pay him a £225m bonus after three years in England, where he would then join sister club New York City.

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      Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu is trying to convince the club captain to sign a new two-year dealCredit: Reuters

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      Barcelona agree to sell Ivan Rakitic back to Sevilla as midfielder undergoes medical ahead of transfer

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      BARCELONA have agreed to sell Ivan Rakitic back to Sevilla, according to reports.
      It is claimed the Croatian underwent a medical with his old team this afternoon.

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      Barcelona have agreed to sell Ivan Rakitic back to Sevilla
      The 32-year-old joined Barca from Sevilla for around £16million in 2014.
      And now he is heading back on a three-year-deal after asking Barca for the move, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.
      Julen Lopetegui’s side recently claimed their sixth Europa League title.

      They beat Inter Milan 3-2 in the final thanks to a Luuk de Jong double and a Romelu Lukaku own goal.

      And all that came after they beat Manchester United 2-1 in the semis.
      Rakitic has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford in the past.
      But the former Sevilla man was in no rush to quit the Nou Camp in January when United previously came calling.
      It was believed the Red Devils were thwarted by Rakitic’s wife Raquel who wanted to remain in Catalonia.

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      World Cup runner-up Rakitic only has one year remaining on his Barca contract so Sevilla will only have to pay a small fee for their former midfielder.
      Rakitic is fond of his old club and has publicly expressed his desire to rejoin them and end his career.
      He scored once and bagged five assists from 42 games in all competitions for Barca last season.
      Premier League teams were put on red alert after new Barca boss Ronald Koeman put Rakitic up for sale along with Luis Suarez, Samuel Umtiti, and Arturo Vidal.
      Suarez is said to have been very upset by a reported one-minute phone call with Koeman in which the Dutchman informed him of the decision.

      And Premier League clubs have already been in contact after the 33-year-old Uruguayan reportedly snubbed the chance to return to his old team Ajax.
      Paris Saint-Germain, David Beckham’s Inter Miami and clubs in Serie A are also said to be keen.
      While club legend Lionel Messi has refused to return to pre-season tests as he also pushes for an exit.

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      Man City ‘to pay Lionel Messi record £450m over five years with £225m BONUS as dad Jorge prepares to meet Barcelona’

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      MANCHESTER City are ready to offer Lionel Messi an incredible £450million over five years if he leaves Barcelona, reports claims.
      The 33-year-old – who has one year left on his contract at the Nou Camp – expressed his desire to depart Catalonia after the club were humiliated by Bayern Munich.

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      Barcelona star Lionel Messi has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester CityCredit: AP:Associated Press
      And the Citizens are believed to be in pole position to sign the Argentinian international, where he’d be reunited with Pep Guardiola.

      Speculation regarding his future intensified over the weekend after Messi snubbed coronavirus testing in Barcelona.
      There has even been talk that Messi has spoke to Guardiola where he told him he believes he can win two Ballon d’Or titles at the Etihad.
      And now Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri has claimed that City are ready to pay Messi £450million over five years.

      He even suggested that the club would pay him a £225m bonus after three years in England, where he would then join sister club New York City.
      Palmeri didn’t state how much City would pay Barca in order to secure his services.
      He tweeted: “Boom. Manchester City would pay Messi €500m (£446m) net for 5 years!
      “The salary would be €50m (£44.6m) per season, but after 3 years at the City there would be a €250m (£223m) bonus moving the last two years to New York City!”

      Palmeri also told his 203,000 followers that Messi’s father Jorge will meet with Barca chief Josep Maria Bartomeu this week to discuss his future.

      BOMBA!Il Manchester City pagherebbe Messi 500m€ netti per 5 anni!Lo stipendio sarebbe di 50m€ a stagione, ma dopo i 3 anni al City scatterebbe un bonus da 250m€ trasferendosi gli ultimi due anni al New York City!
      — Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) August 30, 2020

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      He said: “Barcelona president Bartomeu and Messi’s father to meet on Wednesday.”
      Messi had been hoping to leave the club on a free transfer this summer due to a clause in his contract, but LaLiga have dismissed his claim, keeping his £630m release clause intact.
      Spanish media have stated that City are lining up an £89.5m bid for Messi, while also offering Barca Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus and Eric Garcia.

      Barcelona president Bartomeu and Messi’s father to meet on Wednesday
      — Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) August 30, 2020

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      Lionel Messi’s cousin sees him at Man City but hopes Barcelona star will return to play for Newell’s in future

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      LIONEL MESSI’S cousin, Maximiliano Biancucchi, reckons Manchester City would be the perfect fit for the Barcelona icon.
      The 33-year-old – who has one year left on his contract at the Nou Camp – put in a transfer request after the club were humiliated by Bayern Munich.

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      Lionel Messi’s cousin Maximiliano Biancucchi (right) sees the Barca ace playing at Manchester City
      As reported by Ole, Biancucchi said: “I don’t think Messi has to play with friends, he has to find a place where he is happy.
      “If he was happy in Barcelona, ​​he would have stayed there. He has to pay attention to what he feels.
      “I never imagined that Leo could leave Barcelona. Of all the teams that are named, I think that in Manchester City he would fit in well .
      “Messi is a good kid, that’s why it hurts me a lot when he is criticised from decision-makers since they say that he builds teams.”

      But Biancucchi hopes Messi will return to his childhood side Newell’s in Argentina.
      He added: “I am hopeful that at some point Leo can play at Newell’s.
      “My brother (Emanuel) went to Newell’s and didn’t even have the chance to play five minutes. Now it is in the story that he played there because he was Leo’s cousin.”

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      City are reportedly ready to offer Messi a staggering £450million over five years if he leaves Barcelona, reports claim.

      Speculation regarding the Argentine’s future intensified over the weekend after he snubbed coronavirus testing in Barcelona and he will definitely not show up for the first day of pre-season training today
      There has even been talk that Messi has spoken to Guardiola and told him he believes he can win two Ballon d’Or titles at the Etihad.

      The Barcelona megastar is locked in a legal battle with the Catalan giants after his request to leave on a free earlier this month.
      Barca and LaLiga joined forces yesterday to insist the terms of his contract mean if Messi wants to leave he will have to stump up the huge release clause.
      The Argentina ace believes he no longer works for the Catalans – and that the club’s claim he must pay them £623million to quit won’t stand up in court.

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      Lionel Messi’s Barcelona exit will see Diego Simeone become LaLiga’s highest paid with huge £413k-a-week wages

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      DIEGO SIMEONE will become LaLiga’s highest paid individual should Lionel Messi depart Barcelona this summer.
      Argentina international Messi put in a transfer request after his club’s humiliating 8-2 defeat against Bayern Munich.

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      Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone is the world’s highest-paid managerCredit: Handout – Getty

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      Barcelona legend Lionel Messi boasts the biggest salary in LaLigaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Manchester City are favourites to secure the 33-year-old’s services, though Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain are also believed to be interested.

      Unsurprisingly, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner currently boasts the biggest salary in the Spanish top-flight.
      According to AS, Messi rakes in £44.8million-per-year, which equates to a staggering £816,000-a-week.
      And Simeone is second in the salary ranking, with the news outlet claiming the Atletico Madrid manager earns £21.5m-per-year.

      The 50-year-old pockets a whopping £413,000-a-week at the Wanda Metropolitano.
      Simeone – who has been at the helm of Atletico since 2011 – is also the world’s highest-paid manager.

      After Simeone, Real Madrid gaffer Zinedine Zidane is next on the list, with it claimed he is on £18.8m-per-year.
      Barcelona duo Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann then follow, with the pair both said to be on £17.9m-a-year.

      Los Blancos forwards Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale are next up, with the two reportedly earning £15.2m-a-year.

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      How Man City can sign Lionel Messi on a ‘provisional’ transfer despite legal battle with Barcelona

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      MANCHESTER CITY could sign Lionel Messi on a provisional transfer, according to reports.
      The Barcelona megastar is locked in a legal battle with the Catalan giants after his request to leave on a free earlier this month.

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      Man City could sign Lionel Messi on a ‘provisional transfer’
      Messi believes he no longer works for Barcelona – and that the club’s claim he must pay them a £623million fee to quit won’t stand up in court.
      Barca and LaLiga joined forces yesterday to insist the terms of his contract mean if the 33-year-old wants to leave he will have to stump up the huge release clause.
      But now it has emerged Barca are obliged to grant his transfer as soon as another club “requests it from Fifa”, according to Spanish outlet Sport.

      The report states a precedent exists between Fifa and the Swiss Court of Arbitration for Sport that would see Messi’s right to work “prevail” over the commercial dispute between the two parties.

      However, if the Argentine were to move to the Etihad on this basis, a court in Barcelona would still have to decide whether a fee was payable.
      And it is also claimed Messi could even be forced to pay any release clause himself if he makes a move of this nature.
      Messi and his lawyers are ready to battle on two legal fronts they feel mean the Spanish giants do not have a leg to stand on – pushing him closer to a stunning move to City.
      The stakes were raised when Messi went through with his promise not to report for a club Covid-19 test and he will definitely not show up for the first day of pre-season training today.

      The brilliant Argentine is adopting the position of no longer being employed by Barcelona.
      And SunSport understands he does not expect to be paid from August 25 – the day he served his notice by fax.
      The superstar had the right to quit Barca for nothing at the end of last season provided he informed them by June 10, ten days after the original date for the Champions League final.
      But the player is convinced Fifa’s guidance to all clubs and players during the peak of the pandemic meant any pre-existing dates would be extended beyond the completion of the delayed campaigns.

      The governing body stressed the spirit of the contracts should be honoured, and with Messi finally submitting his request just two days after the rescheduled Champions League final, it is claimed that is what he has done.
      Barca’s position, backed by LaLiga chief Javier Tebas yesterday, is Messi missed his June 10 deadline so must pay the release clause if he wants out.
      But that stance could come back to bite them hard, because Messi’s lawyers believe the actual clause doesn’t exist in the fourth year of the player’s contract, 2020/21.

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      How Lionel Messi’s lawyers are fighting Barcelona on two legal fronts to argue he is now a free agent

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      LIONEL MESSI believes he no longer works for Barcelona – and that the club’s claim he must pay them £623million to quit won’t stand up in court.
      Barca and LaLiga joined forces yesterday to insist the terms of his contract mean if the 33-year-old wants to leave he will have to stump up the huge release clause.

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      Lionel Messi is gearing up for a legal fight to leave Barcelona as a free agentCredit: Reuters
      But Messi and his lawyers are ready to battle on two legal fronts that they feel mean the Spanish giants do not have a leg to stand on – pushing him closer to a stunning move to Manchester City.
      The stakes were raised when Messi went through with his promise not to report for a club Covid-19 test and he will definitely not show up for the first day of pre-season training today.

      The brilliant Argentine is adopting the position of no longer being employed by Barcelona, and SunSport understands he does not expect to be paid from August 25 – the day he served his notice by fax.
      The superstar had the right to quit Barca for nothing at the end of last season provided he informed them by June 10, ten days after the original date for the Champions League final.

      But the player is convinced Fifa’s guidance to all clubs and players during the peak of the pandemic meant any pre-existing dates would be extended beyond the completion of the delayed campaigns.
      The governing body stressed the spirit of the contracts should be honoured, and with Messi finally submitting his request just two days after the rescheduled Champions League final, it is claimed that is what he has done.
      Barca’s position, backed by LaLiga chief Javier Tebas yesterday, is Messi missed his June 10 deadline so must pay the 700m Euro release clause if he wants out.
      But that stance could come back to bite them hard, because Messi’s lawyers believe the actual clause doesn’t exist in the fourth year of the player’s contract, 2020/21.

      So if Barca insist the 2019/20 campaign ended on June 10, by default they are saying the 20/21 season came into effect then, meaning the buy-out clause is no longer in force.
      If that is the case then it would only leave City having to agree a fee to be able to snap up the world’s best player on the cheap.
      City are waiting in the wings quietly, hoping Messi is able to convince Barcelona to act amicably and let him leave after the stunning service he has given to the club over 16 extraordinary years.
      The LaLiga intervention from Tebas hardly came as any surprise, with bosses fearing Messi is following other superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr in quitting the league.
      So far Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartemeu has dug his heels in, but it is becoming clear the legal case is appearing to stack up against him.
      Messi’s father Jorge is due in the city this week for talks with Bartemeu in which he will be hoping to agree to a parting of the ways on good terms.
      In the meantime, the rest of the squad is likely to begin training under new boss Ronald Koeman this week without their talisman, who has been advised by his lawyers to stay away.

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      Lionel Messi transfer blow as LaLiga side with Barcelona in contract row and demand Man City pay £630m release clause

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      LALIGA have dropped a summer transfer blow on Lionel Messi, after siding with Barcelona in their bitter contract dispute.
      The Argentine star believes that he should be eligible to walk out of Camp Nou for nothing, as part of a clause in his contract.

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      Messi has suffered a blow in his bid to leave BarcelonaCredit: EPA
      But LaLiga themselves have ruled that his claim is invalid – meaning that potential suitors such as Manchester City will have to pay his £630million release clause in full.
      Reported by Reuters’ Richard Martin, LaLiga’s statement read: “”In compliance with the applicable rule, LaLiga will not approve a request to be de-registered as a player with the Spanish football federation, unless the amount in the release clause has been paid.”
      Messi, 33, sent a fax to the club on Tuesday informing them of his decision to exercise the clause in his deal to walk out of the club for free.
      But Barcelona have maintained throughout that it expired on June 10.

      Messi’s representatives, however, argue that due to the season being extended following the coronavirus lockdown, that an extension should be granted.
      LaLiga’s statement, however, vehemently denies such a right.
      The situation could be set to rumble on and on – as Messi snubbed the club’s Covid-19 testing this morning.
      Barcelona’s first-team squad, including fellow angered star Luis Suarez, arrived for testing ahead of pre-season.

      But Messi was not among them.
      This means that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will not be eligible to take part in Ronald Koeman’s first training session tomorrow.
      Fans have taken to Camp Nou to protest against the club’s ownership in the wake of Messi’s decision to leave.

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      Fans have taken to protesting against the club’s president BartomeuCredit: EPA

      But it would appear that the man himself wants to reunite with former boss Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
      According to L’Equipe, PSG director Leonardo contacted Messi’s father, Jorge, to try and sort out a deal – only to be told that he has chosen City.
      And Mundo Deportivo’s Francesc Aguilar reported earlier this week that City supremo Ferran Soriano has reassured the Messi camp that they CAN afford a deal – even if the clause was rejected, as has been the case.

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