Lionel Messi has left Barcelona

[The Lusophone]

Barca have just announced they can't sign Messi.

 

[gunnar hendershow]

What an utterly massive story. Might deserve its own thread.

[The Lusophone]

2 minutes ago, damshow said:

What an utterly massive story. Might deserve its own thread.

Indeed. 

Also, in English.

[Baddar]

Gonna end up at City with Pep now, isn't he?

Or he'll go to PSG.

[gunnar hendershow]

1 minute ago, Baddar said:

Gonna end up at City with Pep now, isn't he?

Or he'll go to PSG.

Yeah more than likely the only two clubs that can pay his wages. I'll assume if they can get Messi on a free then City will drop their interest in Kane.

[Baddar]

That's my thinking, he's probably panicking a bit tonight, is Harry.

[Hobo]

Messi to PSG? Think of the matches!

[The Lusophone]

Messi to take his talents to South Beach?

[Szumi]

I really don't want to see Messi at City.

[FLiam]

I love the way Barcelona threw shade at La Liga for having some sort of regulation when it comes to finances as if they’re the bad guys in all this rather than realising they’ve run the club into the ground. 

[Szumi]

1 minute ago, MadJack said:

Messi to take his talents to South Beach?

Messi watched Inter Miami play this season, and I think he's permanently swore off ever going to play there.

[gunnar hendershow]

Just now, MadJack said:

Messi to take his talents to South Beach?

This would be hilarious especially because that team would still suck. Messi might get arrested for murder within a month playing with that squad.

[Cymbols]

Maybe City should keep that £100m and use it to pay Messi’s wages instead 👀

All jokes aside, that deal is definitely done, only a matter of the announcement now.

Be interesting to see where Messi ends up. Colour me intrigued.

[FLiam]

I can’t see it being anywhere other than PSG. I’d love for him to rock up at an unexpected side like Villa or Arsenal. He doesn’t need the money - apparently Barcelona paid him €435m in salary and image rights over the past four years. No wonder they’re financially fucked. 

Other than PSG, I could only imagine back to Argentina or somewhere like Qatar…

[gunnar hendershow]

Is it outside the realm of possibility for La Liga, who just signed multiple new, lucrative international TV deals, to conjure up some exception which lets him stay at Barca?

[DavidMarrio]

PSG, Man City/The City Group getting him so he does like a season or two at City before going to New York or back to Argentina. 

It is funny to see how Barca have shot themselves in the foot financially 

Just now, damshow said:

Is it outside the realm of possibility for La Liga, who just signed multiple new, lucrative international TV deals, to conjure up some exception which lets him stay at Barca?

Wasn't they putting forward a vote to the club's about relaxing the salary cap or something?

[Twist]

13 minutes ago, FLiam said:

I can’t see it being anywhere other than PSG. I’d love for him to rock up at an unexpected side like Villa or Arsenal. He doesn’t need the money - apparently Barcelona paid him €435m in salary and image rights over the past four years. No wonder they’re financially fucked. 

Other than PSG, I could only imagine back to Argentina or somewhere like Qatar…

He might not need the money but he does want it. Otherwise he’d still be a Barca player.

[FLiam]

2 minutes ago, Twist said:

He might not need the money but he does want it. Otherwise he’d still be a Barca player.

Greedy bastard.

[Arjen Robben]

I think La Liga were already basically trying to bail Barcelona out. It's obviously in La Liga's interests to keep a huge asset like Messi in their league. Apparently Barca refused this new deal La Liga had done that would have allowed Barca to keep Messi because it would have killed any chance of them being any potential Super League, why they're clinging to that is baffling to me. Real Madrid put a statement out a few hours ago refusing it too. So it seems like they've ultimately chosen the Super League over Messi. 

[OctoberRaven]

55 minutes ago, MadJack said:

Messi to take his talents to South Beach?

What, to Miami FC, you mean?