FC Barcelona

Lionel Messi's messy (ahem) divorce from FC Barcelona just got more complicated.

La Liga released a statement Sunday saying the disgruntled star's £632 million ($843.7 million) release clause remains in effect and must be paid if he is to leave the club.

"In relation to the different interpretations (some of them contradictory to each other) published in recent days in different media, related to the contractual situation of the player Lionel Andrés Messi with FC Barcelona, LaLiga wishes to clarify that with regards to the player's contract with his club:

• The contract is currently in force and has a 'termination clause' applicable to the event that Lionel Andrés Messi decides to activate the early unilateral termination of the contract, carried out in accordance with article 16 of Royal Decree 1006/1985, of June 26, which regulates the special employment relationship of professional athletes.
• 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."

Messi has claimed he is a free agent because he activated an early termination clause in the deal. Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu previously admitted to Messi's deal having such a clause. 

"Messi has a contract that we signed two years ago, a four year deal, in which in the final season, before the start of the 2020/21 season, he can leave Barcelona, to quit football or to go elsewhere," Bartomeu told Barca TV.

However, Barcelona insist the deadline for Messi to walk away has passed, despite the season being extended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Argentina superstar has refused to report to training, believing he is no longer under obligation to Barcelona. Manchester City is widely believed to be the favorite to land Messi once his contractual situation is sorted out.

Messi has played for Barcelona since joining the club's youth program in 2001. It's likely his departure will play out via an appeals system, barring Barcelona significantly reducing his world-record release clause. 

Lionel Messi reportedly will not participate in FC Barcelona's coronavirus testing Sunday or preseason training Monday after requesting a transfer.

According to ESPN's Moises Llorens and Alex Kirkland, Messi informed Barcelona of his decision Saturday amid a battle with the club regarding the language in his contract.

Messi and his legal team are reportedly arguing that he can leave the club without triggering a €700 million release clause in his contract since he informed the team of his decision within a certain time frame.

Barcelona feel as though Messi missed the deadline since a decision was supposed to be made by June, but Messi and his representatives believe the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the end of the La Liga season means his decision was made in time.

Part of his rationale behind not partaking in Barca's preseason training is reportedly the idea that doing so could hurt Messi's case in getting released from his contract.

ESPN's Llorens and Sam Marsden reported Friday that the English Premier League's Manchester City are confident Messi favors them in a potential transfer situation.

While Man City reportedly know landing Messi could be "extremely difficult" since Barca have been reluctant to part with him, they are "hopeful" Barcelona will eventually give in.

If Manchester City do secure Messi, the club is reportedly considering offering him a three-year deal to play for them in the EPL followed by a two-year option to play for New York City FC in the United States.

Per Llorens and Marsden, Messi spoke with Man City manager Pep Guardiola on the phone last week about his desire to leave Barca.

Messi reportedly spoke with former Barcelona teammate and current Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar about transferring as well. PSG reportedly have interest in Messi.

While Barcelona may not be thrilled at the prospect of moving a player who has scored 444 career league goals for them and led them to 10 La Liga titles, the 33-year-old Messi may force their hand.

Manchester City are reportedly confident they are the likeliest landing spot for legendary soccer star Lionel Messi if FC Barcelona decide to negotiate a transfer.

According to ESPN's Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden, City know completing a deal will be "extremely difficult" since Barca are reluctant to sell Messi and the cost would be astronomically high, but they are "hopeful" Barcelona will give in to Messi's desire to leave.

Messi reportedly called Man City manager Pep Guardiola last week and told him he wanted to leave Barcelona.

ESPN also reported that Paris Saint-Germain have expressed interest in signing Messi. Neymar, who was Messi's teammate for four years at Barcelona and currently plays for PSG, reportedly spoke with Messi on the phone Thursday about a potential transfer to the Ligue 1 squad.

Even so, Manchester City are considered Messi's most likely landing spot if a transfer does occur, per ESPN.

One potential contract with Man City, according to ESPN, is a three-year deal with an option to play two years for New York City FC in MLS afterward. Man City and NYCFC are partner clubs.

Although Messi would be 36 years old upon arriving in MLS under that scenario, bringing him in would be the biggest coup in the history of the league.

The 33-year-old is arguably the sport's greatest player ever and has accomplished nearly every accolade imaginable.

In his 16 seasons with Barca, Messi has helped lead them to 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League victories.

Internationally, he helped Argentina win gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and he took Argentina to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final where they fell 1-0 to Germany.

As an individual, Messi has won multiple player of the year honors, including six Ballon d'Or awards.

Messi is an all-time great scorer with 444 goals in 485 career La Liga matches, as well as 53 Copa del Rey goals, 115 Champions League goals and 22 goals in other competitions for a grand total of 634 career goals at Barcelona.

If Manchester City do manage to land Messi, it would go a long way toward making them the team to beat in the Premier League once again following Liverpool's dominant run to a league title last season.

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo reportedly reached out to Jorge Messi, the father of Barcelona's Lionel Messi, to discuss a potential blockbuster transfer for the superstar forward. 

PSG SD Leonardo has called Jorge Messi, Leo’s father, to confirm the club’s interest in signing the Argentine, according to France Football.

— Get French Football News (@GFFN) August 28, 2020

Speculation about Messi's future has run rampant since ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported Tuesday he informed the Spanish club of his intent to leave during the offseason.

Along with PSG, Manchester City and Inter Milan lead the group of European giants monitoring Messi's situation, per AS. They are among the select number of clubs that have the financial strength to make a serious push to sign one of the best players in football history.

There are hurdles to any potential deal, though.

First, Messi and Barcelona are at odds about the terminology of his contract that states he's allowed to leave on a free transfer at season's end. The forward believes he can invoke the clause now following the conclusion of the coronavirus pandemic-delayed campaign, while the club says it needed to be used before the beginning of summer, per ESPN.

If a transfer fee must be paid on top of the 33-year-old Argentinian's contract, it will further limit the number of clubs capable of making a transfer happen.

Second, Barca sporting director Ramon Planes has insisted the La Liga side want to keep Messi amid restructuring of the squad following a rare trophyless campaign:

🔊 Ramon Planes: "We want to build a team around the most important player in the world" pic.twitter.com/0fDSpM83mE

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 26, 2020

Meanwhile, former Barcelona teammate Neymar reached out to the six-time Ballon d'Or winner over the phone Thursday to discuss a potential reunion with PSG, per ESPN's Julien Laurens.

Neymar's club teammate and Messi's international teammate Angel Di Maria also reached out to the 33-year-old, according to Laurens.

The summer transfer window, which was adjusted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will now run through Oct. 5.

There's no bigger question over the next five weeks than whether Messi, who joined Barca's youth academy 19 years ago, will still be a member of the Blaugrana when the deadline passes.

Embattled Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is prepared to resign if Lionel Messi will reaffirm his commitment to the club, according to ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

Tales Azzoni and Joseph Wilson of the Associated Press confirmed Tuesday that Messi told Barcelona he wants to leave this summer. Marsden and Llorens reported that Bartomeu's resignation probably wouldn't be enough for Messi to reverse course.

Barcelona have already moved up their presidential election from next summer to March 2021, and Bartomeu is unable to run for another term.

Even though Bartomeu will be out one way or the other, some wondered whether Messi's public request was a way to expedite his departure.

Regardless of whether Messi stays at Barcelona or goes, Bartomeu has to resign. Absolute shambles of a presidency, crystallised in the total disillusionment of the club’s greatest-ever player

— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) August 25, 2020

The club already sacked manager Quique Setien and dismissed sporting director Eric Abidal following the 8-2 Champions League capitulation to Bayern Munich. Messi and Abidal had engaged in a war of words earlier in the season.

A clause in his deal allowed Messi to effectively leave on a free transfer if he informed Barcelona of his decision by the end of June. It's unclear whether the language in his contract means the deadline was extended since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the conclusion of Europe's domestic leagues back.

The Guardian's Sid Lowe wondered, however, whether the situation had escalated beyond the point where Messi would return to the Camp Nou based on that looming legal battle:

"It is no way to seek reconciliation. When two sides have reached the point that they are talking through lawyers and formal letters, there's not much love left. All that's left is to negotiate or to fight, to limit the damage or risk multiplying it. The question now is what that clause says: does it set a specific date? And when? If so, the legal position is clear. If not, if it says something more vague, referring instead to some variation on 'the end of the season', then that can be argued in court. And, yes, this really might end up in court: club versus captain.

"Captain? The best player they have had. The best player anyone has had, perhaps. There is no satisfactory resolution now."

In addition, Barcelona are potentially facing a significant rebuild relative to the heights they enjoyed under managers Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique. Bartomeu's resignation wouldn't single-handedly transform the club, and Barca is potentially facing a drastic change in direction resulting from the presidential election.

Messi turned 33 in June, and he has spent some of his prime years watching Barcelona spiral into dysfunction around him. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner may be tired of waiting on things to improve.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi informed the club he wishes to terminate his contract, the Associated Press confirmed.

Spanish paper Marca and additional outlets in Spain and Argentina (via Eurosport's Pete Sharland) first reported the news Tuesday.

A meeting with new manager Ronald Koeman apparently led Messi to start seriously considering his future. Argentine paper Diario Ole (h/t AS) reported that Koeman informed Messi "that's the end of the privileges" and indicated he would take an "inflexible" approach with the players.

ESPN's Moises Llorens and Rodrigo Faez reported Monday that Manchester City had been looking to see whether they could make a transfer for Messi work within the boundaries of Financial Fair Play.

"City know any deal for Messi is complicated but want to be prepared should the option of bringing him arise," the report stated. "Therefore, they're looking into the costs that would be involved if Barca agree to sell for a reasonable price."

Spanish outlet El Pais (via AS) reported in September that Messi's contract included a clause allowing him to opt out at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. However, the clause expired at the end of June and it's unclear whether the deadline was altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic extending the season.

Speculation over Messi's future at the Camp Nou grew in the wake of Barcelona's humiliating 8-2 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich. He only has one year left on his contract and the six-time Ballon d'Or winner might want to engineer an exit before that given the scope of the rebuilding job Barca will need to execute.

The Athletic's Dermot Corrigan explained how overhauling the squad will be difficult because the club has numerous veteran stars on sizable contracts, thus turning away potential suitors.

According to Sid Lowe of the Guardian, Barcelona is looking into potentially terminating the contracts of Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Samuel Umtiti, incurring whatever cost is associated with doing so.

By letting Messi go for free, Barca would be forgoing what would be a massive transfer fee, one that could help fund the additions necessary to turn the club's fortunes around.

Having said that, any transfer fee could be so steep that it would rule out the prospect altogether. Llorens and Faez wrote the general feeling is that the combined cost of a fee and Messi's contract would likely be too expensive, even for the richest teams in Europe.

Shedding Messi's wages would at least alleviate some of Barcelona's burden on that front.

This would undoubtedly be a disappointing end to a stellar relationship, but it might be the shock to the system Barca requires to start over.

The Barcelona board of directors has reportedly held an "internal debate" about whether to make superstar forward Lionel Messi available for transfer before the 2020-21 La Liga season.

ESPN's Moises Llorens and Sam Marsden reported Friday the Blaugrana's general outlook remains keyed on keeping Messi as the focal point of the club, but some board members told ESPN they "wouldn't be against selling him in the right circumstances."

Barca hired Ronald Koeman as their new manager Wednesday, and the 57-year-old told reporters he wanted the six-time Ballon d'Or winner to stay at Camp Nou:

"We need to work with him and speak with various players. We need to make some decisions, but in Messi's case, I hope he stays with us.

"I don't know if I have to convince Messi [to stay], whether it's that or not. He is the best player in the world and the best player in the world you want in your team, you don't want him playing against you.

"As a coach, I would love to work with Messi because he wins matches. If he's at the ability and level he has always shown, I'd be more than happy for him to stay."

Barcelona seem set to undergo changes after a disappointing campaign in which they failed to win a trophy and suffered an embarrassing 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals.

Messi has already reached out to Koeman to express displeasure about potential moves amid rumors of exits for Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba, per ESPN.

The 33-year-old Argentine legend has downplayed previous speculation about a possible departure from Barcelona, including when he claimed last year's Ballon d'Or trophy.

"The people at the club know me," he said. "They know there's no problem beyond what the contract says. What I feel for this club goes beyond any signature or any role. So there isn't a problem."

His current deal runs to June 30, 2021.

There are a finite number of clubs in the world with the financial resources to even make a legitimate offer for Messi, and there's no word that any teams have approached Barca with serious interest.

Nevertheless, it appears more offseason rumors about his future awaits as Barcelona decide how to restructure the club after nearly two decades of success with Messi leading the charge.

FC Barcelona announced Wednesday that Ronald Koeman, who previously played for the club and served as an assistant coach with Barca for two seasons, has been hired as their new manager to replace Quique Setien.

Koeman's contract runs through June 30, 2022. 

Setien was fired Monday following an 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. He'd only served as head coach since January.

Koeman returns to Barcelona after two years as head coach of the Netherlands national team.

He has two decades of managerial experience around Europe. His most recent job at club level was just over a season with English Premier League side Everton.

ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens provided a statement from the new Barca manager:

"It was an honor to be the national coach of Netherlands. For the past two-and-a half years I have done everything I can to achieve successes with 'Oranje.' I look back with pride on what we have achieved together in that period. The Dutch national team has a bright future, I am convinced of that. Everyone knows that Barcelona is my dream club. It feels very special to me to be able to become a coach there."

The club also hired Alfred Schreuder, who most recently served as manager of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, as Koeman's top assistant, per ESPN.

Koeman was a standout player before his coaching days. He operated as both a defender and midfielder at points throughout his 17-year playing career, which included stops at Groningen, Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord along with six seasons at Barca.

The 57-year-old Dutchman helped lead the Blaugrana to four La Liga titles and the 1992 European Cup during his time with the club. He also captured the UEFA Euro 1988 title with the Netherlands at international level.

His task now is helping Barcelona bounce back after its first trophy-less campaign since 2013-14.

There is plenty of upheaval and uncertainty at FC Barcelona following their season ending with a demoralizing 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. But club president Josep Bartomeu seems confident Lionel Messi is staying put.  

"Messi wants to end his career at Barca, he has said that many times," Bartomeu told BarcaTV on Tuesday (h/t ESPN). "I've spoken to [potential incoming manager Ronald Koeman] about him and he has told me Messi will be the pillar of his project. Messi has a contract with Barca until 2021. I speak to him and his father regularly and they know that we have a solid project, that a new coach is coming and that he will count on him."

Barça president ruled out the chance of opening talks with Man United to Ousmane Démbélé: “He’ll stay. Messi, Ter Stegen, Lenglet, Semedo, De Jong, Griezmann and Démbélé are not for sale”.

J. Bartomeu also added that “Coutinho can stay here, if Koeman want him”. 🔵🔴 #transfers

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 18, 2020

Bartomeu added during the appearance that negotiations with Koeman were ongoing and nothing was finalized but "if there is no change then we will announce Koeman as our next coach and he will lead this team and these players forward with a different type of project, led by a coach who all Barca fans know." 

There have been questions about whether Messi might try to leave Barcelona after the embarrassing end to their Champions League campaign and failure to win La Liga, with Graham Hunter of Sky Sports saying the transfer fee for the 33-year-old legend would be €100 million. 

"He doesn't want to leave for more money or just to be out of the mess that is going on around him, he wants to win the Champions League. It's a very complicated equation to work out how he leaves, or to where he might go," Hunter said. "Of course, he is waiting to see the developments [regarding the board and manager] and whether he believes that might make a difference to him staying and winning at Barcelona."

Barca have already seen major changes since that loss and since a trophy-less 2019-20 season, with manager Quique Setien sacked and sporting director Eric Abidal agreeing to terminate his contract. And a number of veteran players like Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal could be on the way out. 

Bartomeu says Koeman has told him Messi will be “keystone” of new team but some other older players need to get “honorable goodbye”

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) August 18, 2020

Messi hasn't slowed down much, with 25 goals and 21 assists in 33 total La Liga appearances this season. He remains Barca's best player and, as of Tuesday, a major part of the club's future plans. 

In any other season, Lionel Messi would not have had to take matters into his own hands.

In any other season, Barca fans would have stood jeering in the stands of the Camp Nou, waving their white handkerchiefs to demand change as their team lost grip on the Spanish title.

But this season—the one that has lasted over a year and left fans locked outside thanks to the impact of COVID-19—Messi has decided to take a stand.

He had been angry for months. First because of a perceived lack of effort from the board in trying to bring Neymar back, but more recently—as Real Madrid clinched La Liga in July—a frustrated Messi made clear how he felt about the team. 

"We didn't want to end the season like this, but it represents how the season has gone," he told broadcaster Movistar+ (h/t Goal.com) after Barca were beaten by Osasuna at home in the penultimate game of the season. "We were a very erratic, very weak, low-intensity team." 

The 8-2 UEFA Champions League quarter-final humiliation against Bayern Munich was final evidence of everything Messi had spent time worrying about. 

And now reports have surfaced that he is truly fed up. That Messi is seriously considering quitting Barca.

Reporter Marcelo Bechler is the man who broke the story. He's the same man that first broke the news that Neymar was joining Paris Saint-Germain. He is considered a highly reliable transfer source around Barcelona.

His report for Esporte Interativo flew around the world, and as his words were translated and scrutinised, the message was clear: Messi wants to leave Barcelona. Not in 2021 when his contract expires. Now.

Speaking to this week's B/R Football Ranks podcast, available now, Bechler explained: "At the beginning of the season he said what was important was not a big contract or money, but a strong project. And with no titles and that loss to Bayern, he still has three or four years left to play and he knows he can help Barca—but they can not help him.

"Messi has always thought him and Barca were 'just one thing,' but now he is thinking maybe he can be another thing without Barcelona. He can make another step and try to win without Barcelona. 

"He is angry with the board and disappointed with the club and wants to leave now. Barca are pessimistic because they can't offer a solid project and can't do much to help him.

"It is very likely he leaves Barcelona if there is another project, I don't know where or which club. It is impossible in this economy to pay €700 million, but I think Barca don't want him here unhappy. After all that Messi gave to them, they don't want him here as a prisoner."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onUokoQA1Wk

Every now and then, there is a transfer that stops and leaves you gobsmacked.

There was Luis Figo switching from Barcelona to Real Madrid, David Beckham moving to MLS to sign for L.A. Galaxy and Neymar leaving Barca for Paris-Saint Germain.

Make no mistake about it—Messi leaving Barcelona for another European club would eclipse them all.

❗️ Messi is fed up. He will leave in 2021 if no drastic changes are made. [cope] pic.twitter.com/YVG1f3kDK5

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) August 14, 2020

There had been murmurs of Messi's exit decision ahead of Bechler's report, with Spanish radio station COPE reporting that he would leave if the club was not restructured. But they were reporting that he would leave in 2021—not now.

Since the initial news, Barcelona have removed their coach, Quique Setien, and he is expected to be replaced by Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman any day now.

It's one step towards pacifying Messi, who was never much of a Setien believer. But how much more work is there to do?

Barcelona have not won the Champions League since 2015 and ended this latest campaign without a major trophy for the first time in six years. Aged 33, Messi surely can not face the reality of not winning Europe's elite the competition again before retirement. 

Andy West is a commentator on LaLigaTV and also wrote the book Lionel Messi and the Art of Living.

He told B/R, "Messi has considered leaving before. At the start of his career he contemplated a big offer from Inter Milan, and more recently he seriously struggled to connect with Luis Enrique during the early days of his managerial stint at the Camp Nou.

"It came to a head at the start of 2015 when Luis Enrique left both Messi and Neymar on the bench for a game at Real Sociedad because they had only recently returned after spending Christmas in South America. Barca lost the game 1-0, Messi skipped the following day's open training session for young fans and mischievously started following Chelsea on Instagram.

"It was a fraught week, but reconciliation came with a stirring victory over Atletico Madrid and the two enjoyed a decent relationship after that.

"I think it would be perfectly understandable if Messi chose to leave now. The club has become a circus, and for the last few years he has been asked to do far too much to paper over the ever-widening cracks.

"Messi is fully aware of the poor state of the team and the club in general and feels that his public warnings have not been heeded.

"Considering the ageing profile of the squad and their dire financial situation, it's hard to see how Barca will be able to challenge for a major trophy next season, and Messi must be wondering whether he is prepared to effectively waste one of the few remaining years of his career." 

It would break up the club de amigos and make it much easier to sell Suarez, Alba, Vidal etc. It would remove a colossal wage burden. It would provide a route into the team for Coutinho, Griezmann and Dembele.

— Andy West (@andywest01) August 18, 2020

Omar Hawwash is editor-in-chief of Barca site Blaugranagram and he finds it hard to believe that Messi could walk away.

He has been with the club since the age of 12, when he signed a napkin to confirm he would be joining. He has played 731 games, scored 634 goals and produced 285 assists. He's a club icon, a club legend.

Hawwash told B/R: "It's a club that helped form and shape him into the player and man we know him as today. I do not deem it as an easy choice for him, and quite frankly, after all he has been through with the Catalans, I don't see him leaving.

"With the presidential elections around the corner (announced for March) and Barcelona's delicate situation at the moment, however, I could see him remotely considering whether his future would be at another club.

"If he does leave? I think for Barcelona, it would be a big blow, without a doubt. Having built the team around him for years, it takes a lot to find 'the next Messi,' which quite frankly is a term that has been used a lot over the years.

"Personally, I think Neymar seems as the natural heir to the Argentine, but given his situation with Paris Saint-Germain and their potential willingness to keep one of their key players, Barcelona would have to do a lot to convince him to go back to the Catalan city, not to mention the impression the Brazilian has left on Barca." 

Fans continue to hold concern over the way President Josep Bartomeu is steering the club, and there have been threats of protest within the Barcelona region. Had it not been for the impact of COVID-19, protests would probably have been happening for some time.

There is a growing fear that Messi really might be thinking of a move.

Thankfully for Barca fans, there are not many realistic avenues for Messi to head down if he is serious about leaving. And there has to be hope this is all just an aggressive stance to ensure his beloved Barcelona do not suddenly suffer a cataclysmic collapse.

Barcelona say they have not had any word that he wants to leave. But at the same time, Messi's camp have not played down Bechler's story.

This is a complicated time economically. Most clubs can not even consider spending €100 million on a big transfer—Messi has a release clause of €700 million.

If he was to move, it would be for less than that amount, given his age and that his contract expires next year. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sign the world's best player. A genius on the pitch and a marketing manager's dream. 

Manchester City have looked into signing him before, and the Txiki Begiristain/Ferran Soriano/Pep Guardiola Barca link makes them an obvious contender.

They might be able to come up with the money, especially at a time when Financial Fair Play rules are being eased, but we have to bear in mind that the club have been reasonably disciplined in terms of transfer fees up to this point.

Still, City were ambitious enough to land Guardiola—we can't rule out that they would make a push for Messi.

Then there is PSG, who found the cash to sign Neymar for €222 million and seem to have the power to do whatever they like. However, they are currently trying to tie up Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to new contracts. Unless Neymar becomes part of a swap deal, it's going to be unlikely.

And then we have Inter Milan, who have been linked because of their rich owners, Suning Holdings, and words from former president Massimo Moratti that they could make it happen.

"I am just a simple fan of Inter now, so I don't have any inside information," he told Italian newspaper Quotidiano Sportivo (h/t Goal.com). "Having said that, I do know this: Suning have everything it takes to bring Messi to Milan, in terms of both resources and competence."

The prospect of putting him head-to-head with Cristiano Ronaldo once again would certainly bring another dimension to Serie A. But Bechler explained on B/R/s podcast that Inter have not had any contact and a move is not seen as likely.

One thing for sure is that for the first time ever, Messi seems obtainable. And if that truly is the case, the biggest transfer of all time might be just around the corner.