Luis Suarez, Carles Puyol support Lionel Messi's decision to leave Barcelona

Lionel Messi, 33, has demanded to leave Barcelona by activating a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for free during the upcoming transfer window. The Argentine maestro sent a fax to the club on Tuesday, declaring his decision to leave Camp Nou by activating the said clause in his contract, confirmed AP. Messi's current contract expires in June 2021; if not terminated before then, the contract also includes a whopping €700 million clause.

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Lionel Messi's decision to leave the Spanish giants after 20 illustrious years has taken the sports community by storm. Fans have, so far, reacted in disbelief, while the rumour mill continues to link him to practically all top clubs in Europe. Barcelona legend Carles Puyol appears to be on board with the six-time Ballon d'Or winner's decision to move on from the Catalan side in search of a new project. Puyol tweeted "Respect and admiration, Leo. All my support, man" after the news broke.

One of Messi's closest friends at Barca, Luis Suarez was quick to react to the tweet from Puyol. The Uruguay international simply replied with two 'clap' emojis, which might mean he too is on board with the difficult decision. Suarez himself is reportedly on his way out of the club, with the Barca hierarchy looking to rebuild the team from scratch.

If reports are to be believed, Messi made his mind up to leave Barcelona after the 8-2 drubbing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final. While Barcelona endured a difficult season, as a whole, the loss to Bayern signalled a new low for the club, widely regarded as one of the best in recent years.

The clause which allows Messi to leave the club on a free transfer is said to have expired, but as Marca explains, "In theory, this clause had to be activated before June 1, but the unusual circumstances of the coronavirus-enforced pause in the season mean that he may be able to request an exit now in the off-season.”

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Lionel Messi transfer

Although Lionel Messi will be available on a free transfer, not many clubs will be able to afford his exorbitant wage demands. According to a report published by L'Equipe, the Argentinian is the highest-paid footballer in the world, currently earning €8.3 million every month. However, there are several clubs who have the financial muscle to sign the 33-year-old. Manchester City, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain have been mooted as possible destinations for the football icon. The likes of Manchester United and Chelsea have also been credited with an interest. 

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(Image Credits: AP)