Lionel Messi blocks €20m Barcelona signing in January, key snub explained

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Speculation has recently linked Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil with a move to Barcelona, but it’s claimed Lionel Messi isn’t a fan of the idea.

With his contract at Arsenal set to expire at the end of the season, Sport suggested that Ozil could be set to move to the Nou Camp in a cut-price €20m deal in the January transfer window.

For a player of his class and with his technical quality and creative ability allowing him to fit in perfectly at Barcelona, that would seem like a sensible move to bolster their options under Ernesto Valverde for a bargain price too with his contract situation allowing him to move for less.

However, that’s not been enough to convince Messi it seems, as Diario Gol report that the Argentine icon has informed Barcelona that he isn’t keen on the signing.

It’s claimed that he feels the 29-year-old isn’t a long-term option, such as Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho who was heavily linked with a move to Barca in the summer, while he’s also reportedly concerned over his habit of going missing in big games.

In truth, those are two pretty valid points to bring up when it comes to Ozil, as if Barcelona want to lower the average age of the squad and build for a new cycle, the German international surely isn’t the man for that regardless of whether or not he could arrive for a low fee.

Further, Arsenal fans will know all too well about his inability to have a big influence on the big games against rivals on a consistent basis, but given his performance against Tottenham last weekend, it’s clearly in him.

Time will tell if Barcelona swoop for Ozil in the New Year, or if Messi’s influence is that great that his reported say on transfers makes the difference.

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