Messi can leave on a free transfer in June: 5 clubs weigh up their options
La Gazzetta dello Sport has studied where Leo Messi could end up. The player himself has admitted that he has an escape clause that will allow him to leave on a free.
Lionel Messi's future at Barcelona is shrouded in doubt. The Argentinean has spent the past two decades living in the city but the latest crisis at FC Barcelona could make him think twice about his career, according to reports in Italy.
La Gazzetta Dello Sport claims that several clubs are weighing up their options of taking the forward should he decide to leave. Messi has an escape clause written into his contract at Barça which states that he is able to leave at the end of any of the remaining seasons left on his contract, on the condition that he gives the club a month's notice.
Messi's next destination - five possible clubs
La Gazzetta has named five clubs which could make Messi an offer if he decides to leave Barça - Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Manchester United, Juventus and Inter Milan. While they would not have to pay a transfer fee, meeting Messi's wages would be a huge expense. In Italy, they estimate that Messi could demand a salary of between 50 and 85 million euros. In the list of candidates,The Daily Mail place Manchester City as the favourites to become the second club of Messi's professional career.
Negotiations to renew Messi's contract at Barcelona still have not started and the confrontation with Abidal has put the five aforementioned clubs on alert. In September last year, Messi confessed in an interview with SPORT that he had a release clause but he was in no rush to negotiate new terms with Barça, with whom he is under contract until June 2021. "The clause and the money don't mean anything to me. The most important thing is that there is a successful project on offer. At present there are no ongoing renewal negotiations as that side of my career is handled by my father and at present it's not a matter that we've discussed", he explained.
Barça already have a plan B
The Gazzetta dello Sport also add that Barcelona already have a plan B if Messi moves on over the summer. The club would bring in two big name players who have been on their agenda for the past couple of years - Lautaro Martínez and Neymar Jr - two signings as direct replacements for Messi and Luis Suárez.