Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi did not participate in Barça’s pre-season training under Ronald Koeman on Monday, having informed the club that he wants to leave.
Valdano insists that Messi is already mentally out of Barcelona
Lionel Messi is already psychologically out of the door at Barcelona and will continue his career elsewhere, Jorge Valdano believes. Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi did not participate in Barça’s pre-season training under Ronald Koeman on Monday. He have informed the club that he wants to leave. The Argentine international believes that a clause in his contract. Allowing him to go on a free transfer, has been activated. However, the club and LaLiga believe that his €700 million release clause remains the only correct way to terminate his deal, which will last until next June. Manchester City are considered to be leading the race to sign Messi, with PSG and Inter also crediting significant interest.
Barca should accept this reality sooner or later
Former Real Madrid striker, head coach, and CEO Valdano, who started his playing career at the Messi youth club Newell’s Old Boys and won the 1986 World Cup with Argentina, is confident that the future of the 33-year-old lies far from Camp Nou. He thinks Barcelona should accept this reality sooner rather than later, or risk an even sharper parting down the line. “Either he moves to another club or his home, but has already left Barcelona. I am completely convinced. I have no doubt,” he said. “The sooner Barcelona realizes that they will lose the best player in their history. The sooner they can focus on recovery”. Barça, as Messi did after announcing his international retirement after Argentina lost the Copa America Centenario final to Chile in 2016.
“They are completely dissimilar situations because there is no deal or anything like that when Leo left the Albiceleste and returned,” Valdano added. “There are no personal problems. I don’t know how far this period will go, which is toxic for the club, player, and LaLiga. “Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu must think that when Messi leaves, he should go too. But prolonging it seems to be harmful to Barça.”