LIONEL MESSI has reportedly agreed a record £623million deal to join Manchester City.
The 33-year-old is on a mission to force his way out of Barcelona after he handed in a transfer request.
According to Record Sport, Messi has agreed financial terms on a five-year contract worth a total of €700m (£623m). The incredible deal would make the Argentine the highest-paid individual in the history of the sport. It equates to £14,200-per-hour, £341,000-per-day and a whopping £10.4m-per-month.
Messi is set to spend three seasons at the Etihad before joining City Football Group’s Major League Soccer side New York City FC for two years. It is also reported that Messi could be offered an equity stake in CFG as part of his package.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner has been at loggerheads with Barcelona since he handed in his transfer request to leave on a free.
New Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has decided that if Messi does not want to stay at the Spanish giants it would be better to get him out as soon as possible.
And Barca presidential hopeful Victor Font insists current president Josep Maria Bartomeu must honour his pledge to allow the Argentine superstar “to leave whenever he wants.”
Messi’s father and representative, Jorge Messi, yesterday flew by private jet from his home in Argentina city Rosario to Spain for showdown talks with Barcelona chiefs today.
And Font declared: “A couple of months ago the president said players have earned the right to leave and retire whenever they want. Now, because of these very exceptional circumstances, he has to honour that commitment.”
When asked whether Messi had been betrayed by the club, Font added: “There is an inconsistency, probably due to mismanagement by the current board, trying to hide behind these wrongdoings.
“That’s why it’s extremely important for the history of the club that we do what it takes.”
Barcelona claim Messi, 33, is on strike after failing to report for a Covid test and pre-season training. But the superstar no longer considers himself a part of Koeman’s squad following a bitter row over his contract.
His legal team claim he is now a free agent after faxing his transfer request and can leave without his huge 700m euros buy-out clause being paid, while Barca and LaLiga insist the contract terms are still in force.
In a Sky Sports interview Font added: “I’m sure what Messi has decided has not been a last-minute decision, it’ll be something well thought out.
“I really hope the decision can be changed, but it doesn’t seem likely and if that’s the case the focus should be on getting the transition that Messi deserves. We need to ensure the legal battle between the club and Messi stops. We sit down, we talk. Let’s make sure we don’t get into an even worse situation.”
TheSun
