Lionel Messi hits back at Barcelona as star’s father Jorge say he does NOT have huge €700m release clause as they slam La Liga for wading in to try and block Manchester City move
- Lionel Messi is not giving up on a stunning move to Manchester City this summer
- His father Jorge has reiterated that his reported release clause does not exist
- The statement also took aim at LaLiga for attempting to block a move to England
Lionel Messi has refused to admit defeat in his attempt to move from Barcelona to Manchester City this summer, reiterating his claim that he does NOT have a €700million release clause.
Messi’s father Jorge issued a statement on Friday that appears to quote directly from his contract, stating: ‘The release clause will not apply when the unilateral resolution of the contract comes into effect after the end of the 2019-20 season.’
The statement also slammed La Liga for wading in on the debate last week and claiming Barcelona were right to demand €700m from anyone who wanted to sign their captain.
Lionel Messi is not giving up on a Barca exit after his father released a statement on his future
Jorge Messi refuted claims from Barca that his son has a 700m euro release clause in his deal
He also slammed LaLiga for getting involved in the saga and insisting a fee must be paid
‘We don’t know what contract they have analysed,’ it said, also condemning LaLiga’s ‘obvious lack of impartiality’ in the matter.
The statement from Messi’s father appears to suggest that Messi has given up on the idea that he can leave the club for free. But he is entrenched in his belief that there is no release clause.
That changes things drastically for Manchester City. Messi could now tear up his contract and let a tribunal decide his transfer fee.
Or Barcelona could accept that Messi has the stomach for a legal battle they would not benefit from, and sit down with Manchester City to negotiate Messi’s transfer.
Messi could also still say he will stay at Barcelona but having won – as he sees it – the moral argument that he was right to insist his release clause did not exist and that he could have left for a tribunal-decided fee.
Messi could tear up his Barcelona contract and allow a tribunal to decide on a transfer fee
La Liga responded immediately, reiterating their position and accusing Messi’s father’s statement of having taken the clause quoted from his contract out of context.
La Liga put its weight behind Barcelona’s claim that Messi was under contract for one more year and with a €700m buy-out clause, with a statement issued August 30.
The statement said: ‘The contract is currently in force and has a release clause applicable in the event that Messi decides to unilaterally terminate it.’
La Liga’s statement also threatened to block his move away although that would be beyond its juristition if Messi moved from Spain to England.
It leaves the door open for a stunning reunion with Pep Guardiola (right) at Manchester City
It comes after days of talks between club president Josep Bartomeu and Jorge Messi as both sides continue to seek a resolution over his future.
Messi Snr admitted it would be ‘difficult’ for his son to stay at the Nou Camp but the club reportedly pleaded with him to persuade the player to commit his future for another year – raising hopes he could perform a dramatic U-turn.
Last month the player told his boyhood side he wanted to leave by burofax after a dismal season and believed he could walk away for nothing thanks to a clause in his contract.
Barcelona have always insisted that he was contracted for another season and that his release clause would have to be paid.
Messi told the club he wanted to leave last month after growing tired of the club’s leadership
City looked to be favourites to clinch one of the biggest deals in history after news that he wanted out, with the Abu Dhabi-owned club one of the only in the world with the financial might to pull off the move.
Messi is on wages of £95million per year, which would be challenging to accommodate even without a transfer fee.
His fixed salary totals £64m (€71m) but bonuses for signing, for staying, and for winning trophies takes the figure well above that.
Just by playing 60 per cent of games until the 2021 date when his contract ends sees Messi earn on average £95m (€106m) a season. But the potential – if he were to win the treble and win FIFA’s player of the year award – exists to push the final figure over the £110m (€122m) mark.
