Lionel Messi informs Barcelona he wants to leave, sends footballing world into a frenzy

Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi has reportedly told FC Barcelona, his club of 20 years, that he wants to leave but the team has said that the clause that allowed him to terminate his contract expired on June 10 and that he may now have to use legal remedies in order to do that. Messi had a clause that permitted him to terminate his contract and leave without a transfer fee, however, the club maintains that it expired this June. According to reports, the Board of Directors at Camp Nou has called in an emergency meeting to discuss the bombshell news and also to fabricate a plan for the future. 

Read: Ronaldo And Messi Could Team Up At PSG - Latest Transfer Rumours

Read: Man City Crunching Numbers To Turn 'dream' Lionel Messi Transfer Into Reality: Report

Respected football expert Guillem Balague took to his Twitter handle to explain the Messi fiasco as he wrote that Messi thinks the season ended in August so he can now use his clause asking the club to free him by the end of the month. But Barcelona maintains that the last contract that the six-time Ballon d'Or winner signed talks about June for Messi to use his clause. So, whosoever now wants to take Messi in would have to give 700 million euros to Barcelona as a transfer fee. There are very few football teams in the world that can come up with that much amount for a single player, which means even if Messi leaves there will be only a handful of clubs he can choose from. 

Read: Barcelona Transfer News: Latest On Jose Gaya, Philippe Coutinho And Lionel Messi

Messi to join Man City?

As per reports, Messi may join his former manager Pep Guardiola in Manchester City but these are all speculations as some pundits have also claimed that the Argentinian star may change his mind if Josep Maria Bartomeu and his board resigns from Barcelona. The club and Messi are yet to confirm any of these speculations but reports suggest that 33-year-old footballer has conveyed the message to his new coach Ronald Koeman, who recently came on board after the team's humiliating defeat against Bayern Munich in Champions League semi-final match. 

Read: Lionel Messi Informs Ronald Koeman Of 'serious Doubts' About Staying At Barcelona

(Image Credit: AP)