The Lionel Messi Saga: Should He Leave Barca or Should He Stay?
Should Lionel Messi be allowed to leave FC Barcelona?
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It might be the end of an era if the next few days go about as Lionel Messi wishes. The mercurial midfielder who has been a Barca boy for almost two decades has finally decided to move out of the Camp Nou after he submitted a request with the Barcelona Football Club board that he wants to leave.
Despite the call made by La Pulga, the board doesn’t seem to be in a mood to let go of him that easily as it has said that if a club wants to avail Messi’s services it will have to pay 700 million euros, which is in the player’s release clause.
Lionel Messi has won everything there is to win in world club football, with Barcelona – 10 Spanish League titles, 4 Champions Leagues, 7 Spanish Cups and 6 Copa Del Reys.
Is it time to release him and respect his wishes or keep an unhappy player at the club for another year and strain a relationship with possibly the best footballer in the history of the sport?
The question of where he could go also arises.
The 33-year-old earns almost 85 million pounds a year at Barcelona. If he goes to another club, he would want at least a three-year contract. That’s 255 million pounds for three years. Man City’s total wage bill in the 2018-19 season was 316 million pounds.
Who can afford Messi right now? Especially when the economy is struggling due to a pandemic?
But, why’s Messi had enough?
For a man who had helped the club reach the greatest of highs, a season without any silverware and a squad that doesn't look very promising, could be reason enough.
Barcelona were leading La Liga’s standings when the season restarted after the COVID lockdown but they conceded that lead and finished yet another season without silverware. They also suffered a humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League just a few weeks back.
This, in fact, started back in the 2017-18 season when Iniesta left. They lost 3-0 away to Roma in the Champions League and have not made any solid signings since then to even try to turn the tide. And when they singed some potentials, they loaned them out or didn’t utilise them! Classic case: Coutinho! The 4-0 loss to Liverpool away and the recent blunder of selling Arthur to Juventus in exchange for a 30-year-old Pjanic!
Watch the video above for the full debate on the issue.
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