Lionel Messi’s hopes of forcing through a transfer this summer have been massively dashed after La Liga confirmed that the superstar will not be allowed to leave for anything less than his release clause.
ESPN report that the 33-year-old’s release clause stands at staggering €700m – a fee which even the most elite of clubs will find it impossible to part with in the current climate.
ESPN have claimed in separate reports that Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are the prime contenders for the wantaway six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s signature.
Journalist Samuel Marsden adds that the second part of La Liga’s statement is also very significant, essentially they will not allow Messi to depart even if Barcelona were to grant him a free transfer.
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In the second point, La Liga say they will not aid/fulfill de-registration (to allow Messi to join another club basically) without the release clause being paid
— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) August 30, 2020
Messi was superb this season with 31 goals and 26 assists across all competitions, unfortunately the Argentine’s wonderful individual displays couldn’t secure any major honours for the Blaugrana.
It’s not surprising to see that La Liga have sided with Barcelona in an effort to block Messi from departing, the Spanish top-flight have a vested commercial interest in the Argentina international.
There’s absolutely no doubting that interest in La Liga would wane if the all-time great was to depart the Catalan outfit – eventually this will be unavoidable though with Messi approaching the end of his career.