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Lionel Messi has officially left Barcelona, the club with whom he has spent his entire professional career, after their contract dispute could not be resolved. The Argentine’s departure comes as one of the shocks of the summer, as a number of clubs will undoubtedly circle around one of the greatest players in history.
The two parties were expected to come to an agreement at some point this summer, although La Liga’s financial regulations dictated that Barca had to shift some of their highest earners off the wage bill before Messi’s renewal could be formally announced.
The 34-year-old had already agreed to a 50% wage reduction in order to keep his stint in Catalonia alive.
Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho were believed to be two of the biggest names who Barca were desperate to move on, although all links eventually went cold.
When it became clear that buyers were not forthcoming for Barca’s big earners, SportItalia reported that La Liga refused to give the green light on Messi’s new deal.
As a result, club president Joan Laporta supposedly had to request another pay cut from the Argentine, leading to Messi becoming ‘completely fed up‘ with the situation.
A report from Tancredi Palmeri also states that PSG now stand at the front of the queue to land the megastar.
Although Messi would be available for free, his wages would require serious financial backing, the kind which the Parisians can undoubtedly boast
