Reports are growing in Spain that Lionel Messi is ready to walk away from Barcelona, with Inter and Manchester City the only real alternatives.
The 33-year-old Argentine has spent his entire career at Camp Nou, but his contract expires in June 2021 and a renewal is increasingly unlikely.
Barca’s historic 8-2 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich marked the end of an era, with radical changes expected behind the scenes and on the pitch.
Reports are growing in Spain that Lionel Messi is ready to walk away from Barcelona, with Inter and Manchester City the only real alternatives.
The 33-year-old Argentine has spent his entire career at Camp Nou, but his contract expires in June 2021 and a renewal is increasingly unlikely.
Barca’s historic 8-2 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich marked the end of an era, with radical changes expected behind the scenes and on the pitch.
Spanish newspaper AS makes clear Messi can choose his own future from January, and La Gazzetta dello Sport have suggested on numerous occasions that Inter are playing the long game.
They are in no rush to get the deal done now, happy to wait for Messi to break away as a free agent and sign a massive contract, which would be funded by Inter’s Chinese patrons Suning.
If they did wish to get Messi now, the obvious answer would be an exchange with Lautaro Martinez, who the Blaugrana have been openly coveting for months.
His release clause is worth €111m, so it would be pretty much a straight swap of Argentina internationals.
Manchester City would be the other candidates, as there are so many former Barcelona figures already at the club, including Pep Guardiola.
However, their inability to progress past the Champions League quarter-finals, and the fact Guardiola’s contract is up next summer, could also go against them.