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      Guardiola’s assistant posts photo of Messi and says ‘it’s time to help you be happy’ amid Man City transfer talk

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      PEP GUARDIOLA’S Manchester City assistant Manuel Estiarte has told Lionel Messi: “It’s time to help you be happy.”
      The Spaniard – who is a huge Barcelona fan – posted a picture of the wantaway star accompanied by an extraordinary caption.

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      Pep Guardiola’s assistant Manuel Estiarte has urged Lionel Messi to join Man City

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      The 58-year-old posted a picture of Messi and a woman believed to be Estiarte’s mother alongside this caption

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      Estiarte has worked with Guardiola since 2008
      The snap showed Messi with is arm around an elderly woman believed to be Estiarte’s mum.
      And the caption written in Catalan read: “Thanks for making my mom happy.
      “Thank you for making so many people happy.

      “Now it’s time to help you be happy!!!”

      Estiarte, 58, is an Olympic gold medalist and ex-water polo player who has been Guardiola’s right-hand man since 2008 at Barcelona.
      Nou Camp icon Messi, 33, is set to quit his childhood club after nearly 20 years following a major fall out with the hierarchy.
      City are among the favourites to land the Argentine if he does leave, reuniting him with Guardiola.
      And Messi’s dad Jorge is reportedly already in Manchester negotiating a move to the Etihad for his son.

      Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly ruled out a move.
      And according to SunSport’s Dan King, Messi would be a financial drain, not a cash cow, for any new club he joined.
      Which is why only the likes of City and PSG – who are owned by nation states able to cover the potential losses – can consider rescuing him from his Barcelona “hell”.
      Fifa will reportedly side with Messi in his exit clause war with the Catalan giants.
      Following his transfer request, the club are fiercely demanding any prospective bidders meet his release clause.

      With Messi’s buyout standing at an inconceivable £630million, the 33-year-old is said to have enacted a clause allowing him to leave for free.
      The stipulation applied to the end of the 2019/20 campaign, which was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
      And Barcelona have reportedly told Messi it has expired – potentially setting in motion a huge legal battle.
      With the June 10 deadline passed, the player’s entourage believe a natural extension is enforceable due to the pandemic.
      And, according to El Pais, Fifa will not stand in their way if they hit the eject button.
      The Spanish newspaper claim to have been told by sources inside football’s governing body that it has no precedent to prevent Messi from leaving.
      In the last 15 years, there have been no interventions from Fifa or the Court of Arbitration for Sport on cases that would apply to dealing with this latest saga.
      As a result, Messi would only have to apply to Fifa’s Transfer Matching System to fill out the relevant documentation and complete a move.

      Ally McCoist hopes that Messi will come to the Premier League More

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      Lionel Messi’s dad ‘already in Manchester negotiating transfer’ with City after telling Barcelona he wants out

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      LIONEL MESSI’S dad is ‘already in Manchester negotiating a transfer,’ according to stunning reports.
      The Barcelona great, 33, is set to quit his childhood club after nearly 20 years following a major fall out with the hierarchy.

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      Lionel Messi’s dad Jorge, right, is reportedly in Manchester to discuss terms over a transfer to Manchester CityCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Manchester City are the 5/2 favourites to land the Argentine if he does leave, reuniting with Pep Guardiola.
      And according to RAC1 and TyC Sports, Jorge Messi has landed in England to discuss terms over a sensational Etihad switch.
      The reports add that a two-year deal is being mulled over by Messi Sr.
      However, it is still unclear whether a transfer fee would need to be paid.

      City chief executive Ferran Soriano believes that his side will successfully swoop in and take the six-time Ballon d’Or winner for free.
      The 53-year-old, however, has reached out to Messi’s camp to assure them that City can afford to sign him – even if they have to pay a transfer fee on top of his mammoth weekly wages.
      Messi faxed the board to inform them he wants to quit after growing furious with their treatment of him and, most recently, Luis Suarez.
      He held a personal talk with Ronald Koeman following the Dutchman’s appointment as Quique Setien’s replacement last week.

      What we know so far:
      In their discussions, Messi revealed he sees his future outside the club while the new manager told him his “privileges” were over.
      Messi, whose deal runs out in 2021, believes a clause in his contract means he can leave for free this summer.
      However, Barcelona reckon that offer expired back in June.
      The counter argument to that being the clause is thought to end ten days after the Champions League final and therefore has been pushed back to August due to the delayed season.
      Legal teams are set to work out exactly what the contract situation is but Barcelona are insisting Messi can only leave if a team matches his £631million release clause.

      Reports earlier suggested Messi even contacted Guardiola, his former mentor and boss, over a switch to the Etihad.
      Together the pair won two Champions League trophies and three LaLiga titles as Messi was guided into a false No9 role.
      It was thought Paris Saint-Germain would be the Argentine’s preferred choice where he could link up with Kylian Mbappe and former team-mate Neymar.
      But the French champions are out of the running, as are Manchester United.

      Chelsea and Inter Milan, however, continued to be linked.
      But Barcelona fans are understandably desperate for the Argentine to stay with many taking to the streets outside the Nou Camp to insist the club keep Messi.
      Angry supporters congregated at the club’s stadium and protested against president Josep Maria Bartomeu, demanding his resignation.

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      Pep Guardiola could be reunited with the six-tie Ballon d’Or winnerCredit: AP:Associated Press

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      Messi could be ready to wave goodbye after spending his entire career at the Nou CampCredit: EPA

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      Messi Sr is trying to sort out his son’s future almost 20 years after he moved to Barcelona as a teenagerCredit: Reuters

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      Lionel Messi ‘has contacted old Barcelona mentor Pep Guardiola’ to tell him he wants Man City transfer More

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      Ajax confirm Luis Suarez transfer interest after Barcelona boss Koeman orders striker to LEAVE in one-minute phone call

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      AJAX have confirmed their transfer interest in Luis Suarez after Ronald Koeman ordered the striker to leave in a one-minute phone call.
      The Uruguayan striker, 33, is on the hunt for a new club as he looks set to become a victim of the Nou-look Barcelona.

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      Ajax confirmed they are trying to re-sign their former striker Luis Suarez as he is forced out of BarcelonaCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Koeman replaced Quique Setien last week and wasted no time beginning his restructure.
      And Ajax are plotting a move to re-sign their former forward.
      After reports of a £13.5million bid, director of football Marc Overmars, who spent four years as a player at Barca, told Sport his side will do their best.
      But he is not confident a deal will be reached.

      Overmars said: “The chances of Luis Suarez joining us are quite small. We’re trying but is difficult.”
      Suarez is understood to have been left stunned and very upset by the way the club are forcing him out, especially with the very brief telephone conversation.
      Barcelona-based newspaper Sport detail how the striker feels singled out for the team’s wider failings after their shock 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League – a game in which Suarez scored.
      Furthermore, he is said to be upset at receiving just a 60-second telephone call from Koeman with radio silence from club president Josep Maria Bartomeu on the matter.

      And the treatment of Suarez played a contributing factor in Lionel Messi telling Barcelona he will quit.
      Speaking last week before hearing from the club, Suarez was desperate to be informed what was happening and had no qualms seeing his role reduced to being a substitute.
      He said: “It would be good if the person in charge who chooses speaks directly to me.
      “I also want the best for the club and my idea today is to continue, but if the club decides that I am expendable, I have no problem talking to those who decide.
      “I would accept a substitute role, as I accepted it throughout my career.
      “The competition is always good and if the coach thinks I have to start from the bench, I have no problem helping the team with the role they give me. I can still contribute a lot to this club.”
      Barcelona are already seeking a replacement for their third-highest goalscorer with Gabriel Jesus on the radar.

      Teams from the Premier League and Serie A have been in contact with Suarez over a transfer – although he will not decide until a proper solution with Barcelona is reached.
      Paris Saint-Germain are also closely monitoring the Uruguayan’s situation in Spain while David Beckham’s MLS outfit Inter Miami are keen on him.
      And, as Overmars predicted, it is unlikely Suarez will return to the Dutch outfit he spent three-and-a-half seasons with before joining Liverpool.

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      Marc Overmars is not confident his Ajax side will be able to secure a deal for the Uruguay forwardCredit: Getty – Contributor

      Luis Suarez ‘in transfer talks with Premier League clubs’ as Barcelona outcast snubs Ajax return More

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      Lionel Messi would laugh off Man Utd transfer offer as we just aren’t a ‘top club’ anymore under the Glazers

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      IF Lionel Messi does really leave Barcelona before the transfer window shuts in October, there’s one place he will not be heading, and that’s to Manchester United.
      Minutes after news filtered through that he intends to leave the Camp Nou this summer, all of the “top clubs” were linked with the best player in the world.

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      Lionel Messi has handed in his transfer request at BarcelonaCredit: Reuters
      The problem for United, is that they aren’t one of the “top clubs” in the transfer market any longer.
      Even if they were, Messi would look at what’s on offer at Old Trafford and politely decline.

      It’s a harsh reality for United supporters and one they’ve had to get used to over many years.
      Under Sir Alex Ferguson and pre-Glazer ownership, United would have been at the front of the queue.

      The Red Devils would have been able to offer him not only a great off-field package, but the opportunity to play with some of the best players in the world.
      But, in 2020, and after having money drained out of the club for well over a decade, financially, United wouldn’t be able to come up with a package to match what he currently earns.
      And on top of that, what’s on offer from a footballing point of view, also falls short.
      United haven’t signed a single player yet, but their loyal supporters have had to watch on as Chelsea, Manchester City and even Leeds United have splashed the cash.

      The Jadon Sancho deal looks increasingly like one that will not happen, and all the noises from the club suggest that a “big” signing this summer is unlikely.
      It’s frustrating and a great shame because there were real shoots of encouragement from United last campaign.
      A third place Premier League finish and three semi-finals is a sign of progress, but it’s starting to feel like Jose Mourinho’s final summer at the club, where poor transfer activity ultimately meant United took two steps backwards after one forward.
      The club desperately needs to kick-on but it can only do that by signing proven talent.
      Messi isn’t an option but the crisis hasn’t prevented Chelsea flexing their muscles and bringing a variety of players through the door.
      In May, the club told me that this summer would be different, and because of the coronavirus, teams wouldn’t be spending like they have done in previous years.
      I’m not sure that is necessarily proving to be the case.

      The best way to remain competitive and service the debt the club has, is to buy players that improve the team and brand.
      By standing still, United risk falling behind again.
      Messi is nothing more than a dream, but the likes of Sancho, Jack Grealish and Dayot Upamecano aren’t.

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      United chief Ed Woodward has been slated by fansCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      Ally McCoist hopes that Messi will come to the Premier League More

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      PSG ‘rule out’ Lionel Messi transfer leaving Man City with clear run at blockbuster deal for Barcelona legend

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      PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN will not bid for wantaway Barcelona star Lionel Messi, according to reports.
      The Argentine has lodged a shock transfer request at the Camp Nou, setting off what could turn into a huge legal battle.

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      Lionel Messi is not set for a reunion with Neymar in the French capitalCredit: AFP or licensors
      With Messi attempting to enact a contract release clause, the club believe that option expired weeks ago and are demanding a fee as high as £630million for his exit.
      Add on the striker’s astronomical wages and it is clear that very few teams can afford to cut a deal.
      Champions League finalists PSG were tipped to enter the running having splashed out on Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the past.

      However, as Marca report, it is because of those expensive attacking acquisitions that the Parisians cannot bid this time around.

      With Mauro Icardi recently added to the expensively assembled frontline, PSG do not see any scope for Messi in both a tactical and an economical sense.
      Thomas Tuchel is said to be focusing on two defensive signings and a midfielder having released high earning veterans Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani.
      Manchester City and Inter Milan are the two remaining frontrunners for Messi’s signature – with Pep Guardiola’s side holding a clear advantage.
      The Spaniard’s excellent relationship with his former Camp Nou colleague has already sparked reports of conversations between the pair.

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      Furthermore, the Premier League club are thought to have a chance of fitting Messi into their Financial Fair Play plans.
      But it is on the pitch where City are most superior to their Italian rivals, with Inter far from a side that can regularly compete for the major honours Messi is accustomed to.
      Nonetheless, there is hope in Milan that only they can meet the 33-year-old’s financial demands as the summer’s biggest saga turns into a two horse race.

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      And Barcelona still hope to persuade their talisman to stay.
      Technical director Ramon Planes stated on Wednesday: “We do not contemplate any contractual exit, because we want Leo to stay.
      Internally we are working long hours to find the best solution for Barcelona and for Leo.”

      Ally McCoist hopes that Messi will come to the Premier League More

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      Messi’s anger at Barcelona has festered for months but Suarez axe was spark that triggered transfer request bombshell

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      THE unthinkable, the unimaginable, the scariest thing in the world for a Barcelona fan has happened… Lionel Messi has handed in a transfer request.
      Well, he didn’t hand it in – he sent it in by fax, apparently sending it from his cool-air country retreat up in the hills of Catalonia.

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      Lionel Messi has asked Barcelona to allow him a transfer out of the clubCredit: AFP OR LICENSORS

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      The Argentine (right) is reportedly angered at the treatment of best pal and teammate Luis Suarez (left)Credit: Splash News
      The best player in the world could be on his way to Manchester City, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain – any club with pockets deep enough to pay his £1.5million-or-so a week basic salary.
      There might not, however, be a transfer fee. 
      Messi’s team argue that a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave this summer for free should not have expired in June because of the extended season due to the Covid pandemic. 

      Otherwise, his buyout clause is around the £630m mark.

      That’s a lot of cash, especially for a 33-year-old. Best player in the world or not.
      Shortly after news leaked out from the Camp Nou last night about that fax – a ‘burofax’, a Spanish legal document – fans began to gather outside the ground to sing: “Messi, Messi, Messi.”
      Over and over again. Another demonstration is expected tonight.
      Today, the mood was turning angry.

      “Messi? Messi! Messi leaving?” Montse Munoz, 59, told Sunsport.
      “What the hell is going on? It’s not Messi who should be leaving, it’s the club president. And the new boss Ronald Koeman?
      “I’d expect him to handle it better. What the hell is he thinking? I am so so angry.”
      But others are turning on their star man, their talisman.
      “Barcelona owes a lot, a lot to Messi but Messi owes much more to Barcelona,” Jose Garcia, 75, told Sunsport. 
      “I’m glad he’s going. Glad. There is a group here who have been making ‘money money money’, lots of money. But they’re not playing for it!”
      Like all divorces, the split has been a long time coming.
      Messi has been unhappy for a while. 

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      He was unhappy that the club failed to re-sign Neymar. He fell out publicly with the sporting director Eric Abidal. He didn’t like the way the club implied, through leaks, that the first-team squad were resisting a 70 per cent pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic. 
      He apparently wasn’t very keen on Quique Setien as coach, and didn’t like the way his predecessor Ernesto Valverde was booted out to make way for him – then Abidal implied it was actually the first-team squad who got Valverde the bullet when they were still top of the league.
      Most of all, he didn’t like getting stuffed 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. 
      Setien has gone. Abidal has gone. Ronald Koeman has taken over as coach and apparently the chats the two men had didn’t go very well at all. 
      Messi was angry when he heard that his best mate at the club, Luis Suarez, was told in a cursory two-minute chat with Koeman that he was not part of his plans.
      Now, that’s it. The man many fans believed was a one club player is leaving. He wants out.
      Alba Lorenzo, 23, works at the souvenir stall in the Barca Museum at the Camp Nou. She thinks it’s the way Suarez was treated that finally flipped Messi over the edge and into another team’s shirt. 
      “The fact that Suarez’s contract is not being renewed is what makes Messi think about not staying with the club,” she told Sunsport. 
      “There are reports of conflicts within the team, and continuing in the team creates stress and pressure on Messi. I think that is why he’s leaving.”
      What shirt will he pull on when the new season kicks off in only a few short weeks? Inter’s? Manchester City? 
      Or will Barca somehow save the day and persuade him to stay? 
      It’s still a hope of many fans, as he has played the contract game about ten times before. Sometimes it felt a bit touch and go, at the time. But he always signed a new, better deal. 

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      Messi has so far been a one-club man, experiencing huge success in SpainCredit: AFP or licensors

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      Angry fans have already begun to protest the saga outside the Camp NouCredit: EPA
      His three sons were born here. His family is settled in a big house on top of a hill in sunny Castelldefels. Best pal Suarez is a neighbour. 
      It would be an emotional wrench for him to leave after spending two decades here. 
      And some wonder whether Messi has the personality to play elsewhere, where he’s not rooted in the very turf of the place. 
      A strange land. A foreign language, nobody has heard Messi speaking English – though his wife Antonela Roccuzzo has excellent English, and their sons go to an English-speaking school.
      Messi has also stated many times his wish to end his top-flight career at Barcelona, and most fans prayed that this would be so. 
      They had hoped for a new president in next year’s elections, and a new coach in club legend Xavi soon after – with Messi the ageing leader on the field of play. 

      Messi has been at the club since he was a boy, when the club’s chief scout was astonished by his extra-terrestrial talents and signed a contract on a restaurant napkin.
      But there has always been one unanswered question – could Messi ever be quite as good, playing for a club other than Barca?
      It seems we’re about to find out.

      Lionel Messi ‘has contacted old Barcelona mentor Pep Guardiola’ to tell him he wants Man City transfer More

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      Lionel Messi transfer request ‘to be given green light by Fifa within one week’ despite Barcelona contract clause row

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      FIFA will reportedly side with Lionel Messi in the wantaway star’s exit clause war with Barcelona.
      Following the Argentine striker’s transfer request to leave the Camp Nou, the club are fiercely demanding any prospective bidders meet his release clause.

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      Lionel Messi should have an ally in Fifa when it comes to forcing through his release clauseCredit: AFP
      With Messi’s buyout standing at an inconceivable £630million, the 33-year-old is said to have enacted a clause allowing him to leave for free.
      The stipulation applied to the end of the 2019/20 campaign, which was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
      And Barcelona have reportedly told Messi it has expired – potentially setting in motion a huge legal battle.

      With the June 10 deadline passed, the player’s entourage believe a natural extension is enforceable due to the pandemic.

      And, according to El Pais, Fifa will not stand in their way if they hit the eject button.
      The Spanish newspaper claim to have been told by sources inside football’s governing body that it has no precedent to prevent Messi from leaving.
      In the last 15 years, there have been no interventions from Fifa or the Court of Arbitration for Sport on cases that would apply to dealing with this latest saga.
      As a result, Messi would only have to apply to Fifa’s Transfer Matching System to fill out the relevant documentation and complete a move.

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      However, the transfer may not be that simple with Barcelona reportedly planning to take the matter to the courts.
      A negotiated agreement is still possible but the exact fee may be taken out of both parties’ hands if the dispute enters the Barcelona legal system.
      Catalan media reports suggest a compromised fee of £199m will be accepted by the LaLiga giants to allow their talisman a transfer.
      Newspaper Sport also note that, were Messi to make an unlikely move across Spain, Fifa’s influence would be diminished further as the country’s laws would take precedence over the Swiss organisation’s.
      Should the striker get his wish, Manchester City appear best-placed to secure his services.
      Financial Fair Play is reportedly a big factor in the ability of Pep Guardiola’s side to complete a deal however, with Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain watching keenly.

      Lionel Messi ‘has contacted old Barcelona mentor Pep Guardiola’ to tell him he wants Man City transfer More

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      Lionel Messi ‘lacks respect’ for Barcelona, slams presidential candidate as he insists he wouldn’t mind if he leaves

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      LIONEL MESSI has been accused of lacking respect for Barcelona by a presidential candidate who would not mind if the club legend left.
      Messi shocked Barca bosses on Tuesday after telling them he wants to exercise a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for free with immediate effect.

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      Lionel Messi has been accused of lacking respect for Barcelona

      The possibility of the Argentine great leaving after 16 years has mounted immense pressure on club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
      Bartomeu has faced calls to step down by Barca fans, and Toni Freixa, a former Nou Camp director, is a replacement candidate.
      But he has already risked the wrath of supporters by insisting he would not be fazed by Messi’s departure and slammed the forward’s attitude.
      He told Radio Marca: “I am not overly concerned about Messi leaving because everything has an end. 

      “What is important is that he did it in such an unfortunate way and without respecting the club.”
      Messi and Barca seem set for a legal battle over the player’s contract stipulation, which the club believe expired on June 10.
      The Argentine superstar is under contract until the summer of 2021 and the Spanish giants claim his €700m (£629m) buy-out clause is still valid.
      Freixa has sensationally called for Messi – who has an estimated net worth of £300m – to personally pay out his release clause to force through a move away.

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      He said: “I am surprised and disappointed as a Barcelona man.
      “I am disappointed by what Messi has done. 
      “The contracts are to be fulfilled and what Messi has to do is come with €700m and leave.”

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      Toni Freixa is a candidate to replace Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu

      Lionel Messi transfer request – Furious Barcelona fans protest against president Josep Maria Bartomeu outside Nou Camp More