Barcelona: After dozens of titles, hundreds of goals and countless records, Argentine striker Lionel Messi could bid adieu to his boyhood club Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
Messi has conveyed his message to the Spanish giants that he no longer wants to stay with the club.
The 33-year-old has sent a fax to the club, asking them to allow him to activate a clause in his contract that will allow him to leave on a free transfer this summer.
But the club hinted a legal battle could be coming and said it won't automatically grant the Argentina great his wishes.
Barcelona said it told Messi in response it wants him to stay and finish his career at the club.
The dispute centers around a clause in Messi's contract.
Barcelona said the document sent by Messi referenced a clause allowing him to leave for free at the end of the season.
However, the club said the deadline for triggering that clause expired in June and that it would seek legal advice. Messi’s contract also includes a 700 million euro ($826 million) buyout clause.
The Spanish season would normally have ended in May but was pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Messi has spent his entire career with Barcelona and has managed to win Ballon d'Or six times.
Over the past few days, severe speculation was doing the rounds about Messi's future with Barcelona.
Barcelona was handed an 8-2 drubbing by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, and since then, the club has been dealing with a crisis.
Head coach Quique Setien and technical manager Eric Abidal have already departed and Ronald Koeman was appointed the new coach of Barcelona.
Barcelona had to endure a trophy-less 2019-20 campaign. The side had finished at the second place, behind Real Madrid in La Liga standings for the 2019-20 season.
Setien was the second Barcelona head coach to be sacked this year. Setien had replaced Ernesto Valverde, with the latter being sacked following a loss to Atletico Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana despite being at the top of La Liga at the time.
Setien recorded 16 wins, four draws, and five defeats during his time with Barcelona.
