MX23RW : Tuesday, November 5 23:35:18| >> :60:259:259:

Lionel Messi's father insists player is allowed to leave Barcelona for free

Lionel Messi's father insists player is allowed to leave Barcelona for free
© Reuters
The Spanish league had stated last weekend that it believed a buyout clause of 700million euros still applied.

Lionel Messi's father has written to LaLiga insisting the player is contractually allowed to leave Barcelona for free in the current transfer window.

The league had stated last weekend that it believed a buyout clause of 700million euros still applied, but Jorge Messi – who also acts as the player's agent – insists the player's contract allowed him to exercise an option to leave at the end of the 2019-20 season.

In the letter sent on Friday, which has been seen by the PA news agency, Messi senior argues that his son's contract does not specify a date when the option to leave must be exercised, simply that it must be done at the end of the campaign.

Letter sent by Jorge Messi to LaLiga

Barca's season ended on August 14 when they were hammered by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Messi's representatives sent a fax to the club on August 25 expressing his desire to leave.

LaLiga agreed with Barcelona that the buyout clause was still applicable in its statement on the matter last Sunday, and it is understood it will address the content of Jorge Messi's letter later on Friday afternoon.

Last Sunday a league statement read: "In compliance with the applicable regulations, and following the corresponding procedure in these cases, LaLiga will not carry out the prior visa process for the player to be removed from the federation if they have not previously paid the amount of said clause."

Pep Guardiola, left, worked with Messi as first-team coach at Barcelona between 2008 and 2012
Pep Guardiola, left, worked with Messi as first-team coach at Barcelona between 2008 and 2012 (Nick Potts/PA)

Messi, who has been with the Catalan club since the age of 13, did not arrive for a scheduled club coronavirus test last Sunday morning.

Since news of Messi's desire to leave became public, a handful of the world's richest clubs have been linked with him, including Manchester City, whose manager Pep Guardiola was his boss at Barca between 2008 and 2012.

It has been reported that he is unhappy with the direction of the club under their current president Josep Bartomeu.

ID:412925: cacheID:412925:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5198:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Philippe Coutinho in Bundesliga action for Bayern Munich on February 29, 2020
Read Next:
Philippe Coutinho 'determined to fight for Barcelona spot'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!