Lionel Messi considering staying at Barcelona over Man City transfer, says father and agent Jorge

Lionel Messi is considering staying at Barcelona, according to his father and agent Jorge Messi.

Jorge travelled to his son’s house on Thursday to discuss his future and en route confirmed that the six-time Ballon d’Or winner is considering staying at the Non Camp for another season.

Messi Sr said simply “yes” to Spanish outlet Deportes Cuatro when asked whether remaining at the club was a possibility in 2020-21. Meanwhile reports in Argentina have suggested Messi may be tempted to stay until the end of his current contract, which runs out next summer, rather than descend into a fight with the club.

Manchester City are the favourites to sign Messi should he leave given the player’s existing relationship with his former manager Pep Guardiola and close friend Sergio Aguero. On Wednesday, Jorge had seemed far less confident over Messi’s future at Barca, saying: ”I don’t know anything about Manchester City. I haven’t spoken to Pep Guardiola. It’s difficult to see Leo staying.”

Messi last week told Barcelona he wanted to leave the club and invoked a contract clause that allowed him to depart for free at the end of the season. But Barcelona claimed the clause expired in June and said he must see out his current contract until June 2021, or leave by paying the buyout clause of €700m (£622m).

Barcelona had been saying they will not facilitate Messi’s departure and will only negotiate a contract extension. The club has offered the Argentine a two-year extension that would keep him with Barcelona through the 2022-23 season.

In addition to meeting with Messi’s father, Barcelona said they also wanted to meet personally with the player to try to change his mind about leaving. The club said they have been doing everything to try to convince Messi to finish his career at the place where he moved to Europe nearly 20 years ago.

Messi hasn’t met with club officials since announcing his decision to leave and hasn’t said anything publicly since Barcelona’s 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals on 14 August. The defeat that capped a difficult season for the club, its first without a title since 2007-08.

The 33-year-old had been outspoken against club officials during the season and he hasn’t shown up at the club since the squad returned to training on Monday. He also skipped the required coronavirus tests the team underwent on Sunday.

Messi’s representatives claim he was allowed to invoke the clause to leave the club because this year the season was pushed back by the coronavirus pandemic.

Additional reporting by AP

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