Barcelona

Barcelona scrambled to renew Lionel Messi after $470 million transfer threat

Former president Bartomeu reveals behind-the-scenes tension at Camp Nou as fears of a record-breaking Messi move pushed urgent contract talks in 2017.

Daniel L. Peinado Roddy Cons

Update: Apr 20th, 2026 10:37 EDT

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says the club moved quickly to renew Lionel Messi in 2017 after learning another team was preparing a massive bid to trigger his release clause.

In an interview with ABC, Bartomeu explained the shock of Neymar’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain and how it reshaped Barcelona’s planning.

“PSG came in, paid the release clause and took Neymar. That was not in the plans,” Bartomeu said. “We had to find a replacement, and that brought us Ousmane Dembele.”

But the situation escalated further that same summer.

Barcelona scrambled to renew Lionel Messi after $470 million transfer threat

How Messi could have followed Neymar out of Barça

“After Neymar left in August 2017, we received information that another club was preparing €400 million (about $470 million) to pay Messi’s clause,” he said. “We sat down with Leo and his father and proposed renewing his contract, increasing the clause to €700 million (approximately $825 million). That is what was signed in November 2017.”

Bartomeu defended the financial terms of Messi’s deal.

“The salary made complete sense to me, especially given what he contributed both on and off the pitch,” he said. “We protected him because if clubs could pay €222 million ($260 million) for Neymar, they could pay €400 million ($470 million) for Leo. We did not want to lose him under any circumstances.”

Messi’s 2020 burofax and contract standoff

Bartomeu also revisited the tense summer of 2020, when Messi submitted a formal request to leave the club.

“Yes, he sent a burofax in August 2020, but I was clear he could not leave,” Bartomeu said. “Messi was essential from a sporting point of view, but also financially for the club.”

He added that the situation was difficult but ultimately resolved internally.

“I explained it to him. It took some time, but he understood he had a contract and could not leave because of the club,” he said. “The club needed Lionel Messi. It was also my final year in charge, and I believed it was impossible for him to go. He was the best player in the history of soccer, and he had to stay with us.”

Lionel Messi is now the owner of Barcelona-based UE Cornellà 🤝 pic.twitter.com/UCOLPUjDgj
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 16, 2026

Bartomeu addresses Negreira allegations

The former president also addressed Barcelona’s controversial payments linked to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice president of Spain’s refereeing committee.

According to Bartomeu, the club decided to end its relationship with Negreira’s son, Javier Enriquez, in 2018.

“It was decided at the start of 2018 that it would be his final year as a collaborator,” he said. “It was an initiative from Pep Segura, the sporting director, and Oscar Grau, the CEO, who chose to stop his services and bring the work in-house to save money.”

Bartomeu insisted no wrongdoing took place.

“I don’t see any crime here,” he said. “There was no buying of referees or matches. That is not true.”

He also said he recently testified in the ongoing investigation and defended the payments as legitimate.

Financial defense of his Barcelona tenure

Bartomeu rejected criticism that he left Barcelona in financial ruin.

“I’ve heard that many times, but it is not true,” he said. “It is part of a very interested narrative from the current board. I can accept it for a year or two, but it has been more than five and a half years.”

He argued that the COVID-19 pandemic was the real financial turning point.

“What is true is that Barcelona, like most major European clubs, was hit by COVID,” he said. “In those 18 months, the club lost around €500 million (about $590 million) in revenue. That was a major blow, and it is not just my opinion. It is supported by LaLiga’s reports.”