Leo Messi Barça transfer request: news summary for 2 September
Lionel Messi - FC Barcelona possible exit situation : live updates
Messi requests Barça exit
A selection of some of the latest stories...
"90% chance Messi will stay at Barcelona" - reports in Argentina
TyC Sports journalist Martín Arévalo believes that there is a strong chance that Lionel Messi will see out the remaining year of his contract with Barcelona. "There is a 90% possibilty that Messi will stay on at Barcelona. A definitive decision will be made on Thursday," Arévalo said on social media. "Messi is seriously considering remaining at Barcelona until 2021 and leaving in style when his contract expires".
Stalemate...
After Jorge Messi and Josep Maria Bartomeu sat down to discuss the situation yesterday, Barça and Messi, remain divided and both stubbornly refusing to back down. Messi's father features on today's front cover of AS:
Ivan Rakitic hopes to help turn Sevilla into LaLiga title challengers after securing his return "home" following a six-year spell with Barcelona...
In Pictures: A Barcelona fan holds a banner that reads 'Messi da la cara' (Messi take your responsability) as Jorge Messi, father and agent of Lionel Messi arrives at the airport in Barcelona on September 02, 2020. Messi boycotted Barcelona's first pre-season training session on Monday, as the striker upped the stakes in his battle to leave this summer.
Messi's -- quite possibly -- last goal for Barcelona
Messi's last goal for Barcelona was a beauty, in case you need reminding...
Barcelona make a point in using Messi as part of new shirt campaign
Barça make a point in using Messi in new advertising campaign for 2020/21 home kit
In the very same day when Bartomeu met with Jorge Messi, the club used Leo Messi's image as part of an advertising drive for the new 2020/21 home shirt.
Coutinho back at Barça
One player who seems set to pull on the azul-grana shirt next season is Coutinho after Bayern Munich confirmed that the Brazilian would be moving back to Camp Nou.
Arthur unveiled at Juve
Former Barcelona midfielder and Messi team-mate Arthur Melo was unveiled at the Serie A club today. The Brazilian move to the Turin based side with Pjanic making the move the other way to the Catalan capital.
Messi at #7 in KPMG global market value ranking
Financial experts KPMG rank Lionel Messi as the seventh most valuable player currently in world football with the striker having a value of 124 million euro in the current market (as of August 2020)
Messi in the pink?
Pictures of the 2020/21 FC Barcelona third kit have been filtered online with pink set to be the dominant colour of the third kit.
Barcelona-Jorge Messi meeting ends with limited headway
Barcelona-Jorge Messi meeting ends with little headway made
Club president Bartomeu and Javier Bordas met with Jorge Messi, Rodrigo Messi (Leo's brother) and a lawyer in the club offices with little headway made.
Barça-Messi stalemate after meeting
Cadena Ser report that after the meeting between both sides, the club expects the player to recommence training with the player's father globing back to the content of last week's burofax where Messi states that he is no longer a FCB player.
In short, we've made zero headway.
Sergio Ramos: "Messi has earned the right to decide his future"
Ramos admits that Messi has 'earned the right to decide his future'
The Real Madrid and 'La Roja' captain spoke on the eve of Spain's opening game in the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League as they face Germany.
What did Jorge Messi have for lunch today?
Football Daily's Gary Cotterill reveals what Messi's dad Jorge had for lunch in the Catalan capital this afternoon.
Messi, show some responsibility
This was the message from one of the numerous Barça fans waiting at El Prat airport in the Catalan capital ahead of the arrival of the player's father.
Real Madrid's Kroos on Messi situation: "Leo leaving Barcelona would be bad for LaLiga"
Barcelona are facing a battle to keep Lionel Messi, and Toni Kroos thinks it would be bad for LaLiga if he left for Manchester City
Barça confirm first pre-season friendly
Ronald Koeman's men will face local 2B side Nastic in the first pre-season friendly on 12 September. As things stand this could be the first game in the post Lionel Messi Barça era.... How will events unfold in the next ten days ?
Messi appears in Barça shirt marketing message
FC Barcelona were keen to maintain Messi as centre stage in the ongoing marketing campaign for the new 2020/21 Nike playing kit. It's common practice for clubs not too use players who are poised for the exit door in these type of campaigns.....
Bartomeu car pulls up outside Jorge Messi's flat....
A surreal moment in the unfolding drama in the Catalan capital as the Barcelona president's car pulls up outside Messi's father's flat, no-one gets out of the vehicle and the car pulls away .....
Neymar tests positive for coronavirus
Bad news for former Messi strike partner as Neymar tests positive
PSG released a statement confirming that three players have tested positive for Covid-19, they are Brazilian striker, along with Di María and Paredes.
The FCB 'curse' of the Panini LaLiga sticker book front cover
The last time a FC Barcelona player appeared on the cover of the Panini sticker collection was Neymar Jr in 2017, a few days after the publication the Brazilian moved to PSG.
The 2020/21 LaLiga collection was unveiled this week with a certain Leo Messi on the cover...
Jorge Messi
Our photographer in Barcelona, Rodolfo Molina, snapped Messi's dad leaving the Leo Messi Foundation offices and heading off for lunch in La Focaccia. Messi himself didn't appear to be around.
No Bartomeu - Messi meeting yet
Past three o'clock in Barcelona and there has been no meeting yet between Leo Messi's father Jorge and Barça president Bartomeu.
Our sources say it's yet to be confirmed the meeting will be today and it could be tomorrow.
Rakitic bids Barça adieu
Ivan Rakitic bid Barcelona farewell this afternoon in a press conference. Rakitic returns to his previous club, Sevilla on a 1.5 million euro deal plus a further nine million in add-ons. This is what he said when asked about Messi:
“I've had too much on my mind to be thinking about other players. I respect the decisions every player makes and as I've said before in the past, the time comes when we all must make decisions. I have the greatest respect for Barça, it is a part of my life and will always be in my heart and for that reason, I can only speak about my situation and that I thought that this was the right moment for me to move on. I can only say that every player has to do what they believe to be best for them”.
Messi, the focus of Barcelona's 2020/21 publicity campaign
While he may be contemplating leaving Barcelona, Leo Messi is the principal figure in the club's publicity campaign for the team's new kit.
Barcelona unveiled their new kit in mid-July and at the time, several players were not involved in the photo-shoot - Luis Suárez, Ivan Rakitic, Ousmane Dembélé and Arturo Vidal were not pictured wearing the new kit, usually a sign that their future at the club is up in the air. Rakitic has since left, returning to Sevilla while Suárez and Vidal are both on the transfer list.
Barça launched their new campaign today - it features Messi, pictured right at the front alongside team mates Gerard Piqué, Antoine Griezmann, Frenkie de Jong and Dembélé. Reading between the lines, could it be a message that Messi is staying? If he is leaving, why would he be so prominent in the club's publicity campaign?
Messi's father arrives in Barcelona: "The situation is difficult"
Messi's father arrives in Barcelona: "The situation is difficult"
Jorge Messi arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday for a meeting with Josep Maria Bartomeu. Manchester City hope to negotiate a deal for the Barca star.
Read more:
Inter Milan not chasing Messi
Piero Ausilio, sporting director at Inter, said the club weren't interested in Messi, citing Financial Fair Play and saying there have never been any talks with Barça. He also said Lautaro is not for sale.
Wolves skipper Conor Coady not thrilled about facing Messi
Lionel Messi would instill panic among defenders in the Premier League if he moves to the English top flight, according to Wolves captain Conor Coady. Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has been heavily linked with a switch to Manchester City since informing Barcelona of his intention to leave the club last week.
"I'll be honest with you, I'd probably have a lot of panic before the game, trying to get my head around playing him," Coady chuckled as he spoke to reporters from England's St George's Park base. "You can watch all the videos in the world to try and prepare for playing someone like him and you'd struggle. It would be amazing for the Premier League. We all know how big the Premier League is. He's his own man and he'll decide his own future. Let's see what happens."
Messi agrees €700m City deal ahead of Barcelona meeting
With a crucial meeting set to take place in the Lionel Messi saga, the Barcelona star has reportedly agreed to a deal with Manchester City.
Messi, 33, has sensationally requested to leave the LaLiga giants, where he has spent his entire professional career. But just whether a move happens could hinge on an upcoming meeting.
Messi has agreed to terms on a deal worth €700m with the City Football Group (CFG), which owns Manchester City, according to the Daily Record. The deal is reportedly five years in length, including three in Manchester and two with MLS side New York City.
A six-time Ballon d'Or winner, Messi is set for a Barcelona exit after a tumultuous and trophy-less 2019-20 season.
Messi tells Barcelona he wants to leave
Last week, Lionel Messi had told FC Barcelona that he wanted to leave. It appeared then that the player's mind was already made up and that he would not play again for the club he has served for practically his entire career.
Since then, Messi doesn't seem to have had a change of heart... and his possible departure, contractual negotiations with Barça and potential next club have filled the news columns. Today, his father Jorge is due to meet Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu to discuss the matter.