For the first time in his long and illustrious career, Lionel Messi is without a club.
The Argentine’s Barcelona contract expired this morning (Thursday), and with the player yet to agree to an extension, he is now officially a free agent.
Photo via Reuters
This means Messi is not only able to negotiate with interested parties without needing Barca’s consent, he can also join any club for free.
This will surely draw the attention of Man City and PSG…although even these two may struggle to afford the player’s massive wages, rumoured to be half a million pounds per week before bonuses.
Make no mistake…it is very significant that Messi has yet to agree a new deal with Barca. This is a player who has spent his entire professional career with the Catalan side, and prior to this, never had any problems when it came to his contract renewal.
Photo via Reuters
The fact that he has let his contract lapse could be an indication that something is not right – either Messi is unhappy (he did try to force a transfer last season) or the club are unable to afford his financial demands (Barca is over 1 billion euros in debt).
But it may not be all doom and gloom for both parties. Spanish sources say despite being out of a contract, Messi remains in negotiations with Barca over a new deal and could still choose to stay.
According to these insiders, it is only a matter of time before the Argentine puts pen to paper on a new contract to stay at the Nou Camp.
It is also a good sign that Messi has yet to listen to any offers from other clubs, opting to try and sort things out with Barca first.
By: Nicholas Darren John
