The Argentine’s time with the Blaugrana looks to be close after he could not be registered in La Liga due to the club’s financial restrictions.
Messi could be calling a briefing
Lionel Messi is to give a press conference on Sunday at Camp Nou following his exit from Barcelona. The Argentine’s time with the Blaugrana looks to be close after he could not be registered in La Liga due to the club’s financial restrictions. But amid intense speculation over his future, he will now hold a media event this weekend, where he will be expected to clear up questions about his future. There are numerous reasons why Messi could be calling a briefing amid the ever-developing saga of his future, with the forward likely to attempt to shed clarity on his situation. However, the fact that he has chosen to hold it at the home of his former club could suggest that his departure is not as much of a done deal as initially thought.
The Argentine was ready to sign a new five-year deal
Messi was set to put pen to paper on a new five-year deal earlier this month after returning from holiday, at a significant wage reduction to help ease Barca’s financial woes. But when news broke on Thursday that the club would still be unable to register him, it appeared that he was destined to finish his career elsewhere, with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City both heavily linked. Subsequent reports have suggested that a potential move to PSG was on the cards, but the sudden news that Messi will return to Camp Nou to address the media may indicate that there has been some form of resolution found to keep him in La Liga.
Conversely, his conference could offer him a final chance to say farewell to the club where he has spent his entire professional career to date, having joined as a youngster and helped forge their success over the better part of two decades. Whatever the reason, Messi’s media event will likely further solidify his future in the wake of a successful international period with Argentina, finally claiming the Copa America with his nation. If he remains with Barca, he will figure in Ronald Koeman’s plans as the Blaugrana look to back up last term’s Copa del Rey triumph with further success. If he departs and heads to PSG, he will join a fearsome lineup led by Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, as Mauricio Pochettino looks to take the club back to the top of Ligue 1.