Barcelona Announce Lionel Messi Will Leave in Explosive New Development
- Messi has been a free agent since July 1 when his contract with Barcelona expired
- The 34-year old agreed a new deal on reduced wages but the deal was dependent on Barcelona’s ability to balance their wage bill
- The two parties were on the verge of agreeing on a new deal but Barcelona announced financial and structural obstacles have made it impossible to resign Messi
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Barcelona have announced that Lionel Messi will not stay at the club in an explosive twist in contract negotiations.
Source: UGC
The initial report that Messi’s new contract with Barcelona had hit a snag was reported by Spanish outlet Marca, which claimed Messi "has never been further from renewing his Barcelona contract”.
The Argentine superstar, 34, had agreed on a new deal and was willing to part ways with half the wages he had been earning previously.
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However, in a fresh twist, Barcelona announced via the club website that “financial and structural obstacles” have made it impossible to renew the deal.
"Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations)," a club statement said.
"FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life."
Messi has spent his entire career at Barcelona, where he has established himself as one of the greatest players to ever grace the game of football.
He came up the ranks at the Barcelona academy and went on to score 672 goals in 778 appearances for the Catalan club, becoming Barcelona and La Liga’s all-time goal scorer in the process.
Ronaldinho wants Lionel Messi to stay at FC Barcelona
Briefly News previously reported that Ronaldinho, who was one of the best attacking midfielders in the world during his active playing time, has explained that he is waiting for Lionel Messi to sign a new deal at Barcelona.
For now, Lionel Messi's future at Barcelona remains unresolved even though there are reports that the Argentine has agreed to a new deal, but the Catalans were yet to announce it.
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Source: Briefly News
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
Thando Mpembe Thando Mpembe is a sports journalist who has a passion for all things entertainment. In her spare time, Thando enjoys reading and spending time with family. She is an advocate for mental health and believes that a healthy body starts with a healthy mind. Thando holds an Honours Degree in Journalism from the University of Johannesburg. Her favourite quote is "Gentle reminder - you are not for everyone and that is a blessing". Email: thando.mpembe@briefly.co.za
