If Lionel Messi's mind is made up to leave Barcelona, the question turns to where he goes next.&nbsp; His priority has always been to be part of a "winning project" at Camp Nou but his latest season was not only devoid of trophies, it was defined by chaos and ended in humiliation.&nbsp;

Messi has not asked for a transfer to put his feet up for the final years of his career. This is a considered move aimed at bolstering his successes, and in one competition in particular.&nbsp;

The Champions League has become his obsession, which puts all of Europe's super-clubs in contention and eliminates the less intensive, or more romantic, options, at least for now.&nbsp;

A fairytale return to Newell's Old Boys in Argentina, a project-build Stateside in the MLS or even a challenge at an aspiring European team in the mould of Diego Maradona's time at Napoli, will all become more likely once Messi is out of Barcelona.&nbsp;

But that is not likely to be his next step. Instead, Messi wants titles and a club he believes in again.&nbsp;

There will be no shortage of clubs pining for arguably the greatest player of all time but once they have done the sums, particularly in the heat of the coronavirus crisis, only a few will be able to make the numbers work.&nbsp;

On the back of their Champions League triumph, Bayern Munich are the pre-eminent force in Europe but they are unlikely to be able to afford Messi, aged 33, and with a base salary of around 60 million euros per year.&nbsp;

The same goes for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, as well as Juventus, who remain restricted by the enormous outlay needed to sign Cristiano Ronaldo two years ago.&nbsp;

Perhaps Ronaldo's transfer, which is yet to deliver Juve the European success they hoped it would, might even make some of Messi's potential suitors nervous.&nbsp;

Madrid, meanwhile, would love nothing more than to prize Messi from their rivals - and they have tried before - but even if Messi wants to leave Barca, he is not out to burn his reputation and legacy.

<h2>- Wealthiest left standing -</h2>

Only the wealthiest are left standing but would the history of Manchester United or the upward momentum of Frank Lampard's Chelsea be enough to persuade Messi?&nbsp;

In recent seasons, neither has lasted in the Premier League's title race, let alone been serious contenders in the Champions League.&nbsp;

Those able both to afford Messi, and convince him, may only be Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, with Inter Milan a third option.&nbsp;

City would appear favourites but the club have always trodden carefully around the prospect of Messi. Their sporting staff, including coach Pep Guardiola, sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, all have connections with Barcelona they are keen to respect.&nbsp;

If City could be seen to be offering a safe haven for Messi's desire to go, rather than snatching him away, it would surely be an opportunity they could not pass up.

Messi could propel them in the Champions League and launch the City brand, so important to the club's Abu Dhabi owners, to a different level.

For PSG, whose frustration in Europe has been comparable to City's, even if they broke new ground by reaching last weekend's final, Messi would also represent a seismic addition to the Qatari project.

A Neymar-Messi-Kylian Mbappe front three would not be a difficult sell.

Inter's pitch would be more personal, given Messi's father Jorge has reportedly bought a house close to the club's offices while the Italian outfit have fostered close relations with the Messi family for years.

With Antonio Conte as coach and ambitious Chinese owners, Messi might be drawn to Inter, where the tax regulations would be less punitive and the disapproval less pronounced, given the club's history and tradition.

None of the options are without risk. Of the leading trio, only Inter have ever won the Champions League but even that was in 2010.

Success is not guaranteed for club or player, with Messi enduring an injury-interrupted season himself last term.

Staying at Barcelona remains a possibility, particularly if under-pressure president Josep Maria Bartomeu decides to resign.

But despite calls from fans and rival candidates, there is no suggestion yet that Bartomeu is considering his position.

Bartomeu's new sporting director Ramon Planes said on Wednesday the club "would have to fight" to ensure the relationship between Barcelona and Messi continues. It may be too late.

If Lionel Messi's mind is made up to leave Barcelona, the question turns to where he goes next. His priority has always been to be part of a "winning project" at Camp Nou but his latest season was not only devoid of trophies, it was defined by chaos and ended in humiliation.

If Lionel Messi's mind is made up to leave Barcelona, the question turns to where he goes next. His priority has always been to be part of a "winning project" at Camp Nou but his latest season was not only devoid of trophies, it was defined by chaos and ended in humiliation. Messi has not asked for a transfer to put his feet up for the final years of his career. This is a considered move aimed at bolstering his successes, and in one competition in particular. The Champions League has become his obsession, which puts all of Europe's super-clubs in contention and eliminates the less intensive, or more romantic, options, at least for now. A fairytale return to Newell's Old Boys in Argentina, a project-build Stateside in the MLS or even a challenge at an aspiring European team in the mould of Diego Maradona's time at Napoli, will all become more likely once Messi is out of Barcelona. But that is not likely to be his next step. Instead, Messi wants titles and a club he believes in again. There will be no shortage of clubs pining for arguably the greatest player of all time but once they have done the sums, particularly in the heat of the coronavirus crisis, only a few will be able to make the numbers work. On the back of their Champions League triumph, Bayern Munich are the pre-eminent force in Europe but they are unlikely to be able to afford Messi, aged 33, and with a base salary of around 60 million euros per year. The same goes for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, as well as Juventus, who remain restricted by the enormous outlay needed to sign Cristiano Ronaldo two years ago. Perhaps Ronaldo's transfer, which is yet to deliver Juve the European success they hoped it would, might even make some of Messi's potential suitors nervous. Madrid, meanwhile, would love nothing more than to prize Messi from their rivals - and they have tried before - but even if Messi wants to leave Barca, he is not out to burn his reputation and legacy. - Wealthiest left standing - Only the wealthiest are left standing but would the history of Manchester United or the upward momentum of Frank Lampard's Chelsea be enough to persuade Messi? In recent seasons, neither has lasted in the Premier League's title race, let alone been serious contenders in the Champions League. Those able both to afford Messi, and convince him, may only be Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, with Inter Milan a third option. City would appear favourites but the club have always trodden carefully around the prospect of Messi. Their sporting staff, including coach Pep Guardiola, sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, all have connections with Barcelona they are keen to respect. If City could be seen to be offering a safe haven for Messi's desire to go, rather than snatching him away, it would surely be an opportunity they could not pass up. Messi could propel them in the Champions League and launch the City brand, so important to the club's Abu Dhabi owners, to a different level. For PSG, whose frustration in Europe has been comparable to City's, even if they broke new ground by reaching last weekend's final, Messi would also represent a seismic addition to the Qatari project. A Neymar-Messi-Kylian Mbappe front three would not be a difficult sell. Inter's pitch would be more personal, given Messi's father Jorge has reportedly bought a house close to the club's offices while the Italian outfit have fostered close relations with the Messi family for years. With Antonio Conte as coach and ambitious Chinese owners, Messi might be drawn to Inter, where the tax regulations would be less punitive and the disapproval less pronounced, given the club's history and tradition. None of the options are without risk. Of the leading trio, only Inter have ever won the Champions League but even that was in 2010. Success is not guaranteed for club or player, with Messi enduring an injury-interrupted season himself last term. Staying at Barcelona remains a possibility, particularly if under-pressure president Josep Maria Bartomeu decides to resign. But despite calls from fans and rival candidates, there is no suggestion yet that Bartomeu is considering his position. Bartomeu's new sporting director Ramon Planes said on Wednesday the club "would have to fight" to ensure the relationship between Barcelona and Messi continues. It may be too late.

Messi on the market but only Europe's richest and most ambitious need apply

Will Lionel Messi really leave Barcelona? Is it even possible? Well, Messi leaving Barca never looked as close. The year 2020 has brought many surprises and shocks, and Messi departing from the Nou Camp could very well be the final nail in the coffin in the beautiful love story between the Argentine maestro and the Catalan club.&nbsp;

Fed up with board politics and how the club has been performing on the pitch, Messi on Tuesday handed in a transfer request to Barcelona board requesting them to release him of his duties. Interestingly, Messi has a EUR 700 million release clause but another crucial clause in his contract states he can leave the club for free after the end of every season. With COVID-19 pandemic and the financial hardship clubs had to face, it is near to impossible that any club with shell out EUR 700 million but will Messi leave the Spanish giants for free?&nbsp;

<img alt="Messi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dbbfad67-1eb5-4102-b2d5-344645e5f064" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1WI6MU.jpg" />

Apparently, Messi’s clause which allows him to leave for free ended on May 31, 2020&nbsp;but the entourage of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner argues that the season was extended due to the shutdown and restart and hence, the clause remains active. What’s next? A legal battle may follow if Messi pushes his exit.&nbsp;

IN PICS |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/stay-or-go-messi-in-legal-tangle-with-barcelona-over-leaving-club-323132" hreflang="en">Stay or go? Messi in legal tangle with Barcelona over leaving club</a>

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🎥 Dozens of fans in front of the club's offices showing their disagreements with the board with several shouts. <a href="https://twitter.com/esport3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@esport3</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCB</a> 
 
<a href="https://t.co/t0tQBKNHut">pic.twitter.com/t0tQBKNHut</a>
— Hagrid ✆ (@HagridFCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/HagridFCB/status/1298374886633725956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

<img alt="Lionel Messi fans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4e575be8-cef5-4357-b3fe-84425b0a4c97" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_1WR0A7.jpg" />

Messi on Tuesday sent a fax to Barcelona asking them to allow him to leave the club. Tweets from Catalan President Quim Torra i Pla, club legend Carles Puyol confirmed that if Messi were to leave Barca then it is now or never. Fans started to gather outside Barcelona offices, chanting 'Bartomeu out' and that sums up the seriousness of the entire matter.

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Respeto y admiración, Leo. Todo mi apoyo, amigo.
— Carles Puyol (@Carles5puyol) <a href="https://twitter.com/Carles5puyol/status/1298315936592797697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Barcelona have not been the same on the football pitch since the departure of Pep Guardiola. While Tito Vilanova tried to continue Guardiola’s legacy, his untimely demise due to cancer left everyone in shock. Gerardo Martino, Luis Enrique, Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien came and went.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-hands-in-his-transfer-request-to-barcelona-323113">Lionel Messi hands in his transfer request to Barcelona</a>

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Catalunya serà sempre casa teva. Moltes gràcies per tots aquest temps de felicitat i d’un futbol extraordinari. Hem tingut la sort de compartir uns anys de les nostres vides amb el millor jugador del món. I un noble esportista No t’oblidarem mai. Leo Messi, Creu de Sant Jordi. <a href="https://t.co/Ojev577MoE">pic.twitter.com/Ojev577MoE</a>
— Quim Torra i Pla (@QuimTorraiPla) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuimTorraiPla/status/1298327109459378179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

While many will argue Barcelona won good number of trophies under Enrique but it was largely due to the epic troika of Neymar-Suarez-Messi. Players were unhappy with how the team performed in the UEFA Champions League and managers were continued to be sacked. The defeats against AS Roma, Liverpool didn’t help their case and the humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich felt like the house of cards could just crumble and it did.&nbsp;

<img alt="Lionel Messi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ffe10511-7210-453a-afae-e4cf21ffb3da" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_13W71S.jpg" />

Ronald Koeman, a Barcelona legend, was appointed as the manager but the way he is approaching the senior players to discuss about their roles in the club has played a role in the fallout. Koeman, apparently, told Suarez that he is not needed in the club over a phone call. Sergio Busquets was told he would not have a key role in the club next season. Messi was reportedly told by Koeman that ‘privileges’ are over. Something which may have irked the Argentine megastar.&nbsp;

Bartomeu’s presence as club president hasn’t had a long-lasting impact – on the squad and financially. The club is in debt, the big buys of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele haven’t worked out. Neymar has left the club and was never bought back despite heavy interest from both sides. Messi felt enough is enough.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/will-lionel-messi-leave-barcelona-man-city-crunching-numbers-for-argentine-maestro-322969" hreflang="en">Will Lionel Messi leave Barcelona? Man City 'crunching numbers' for Argentine maestro</a>

Messi wants a winning project where he can continue to win trophies and satisfy the hunger he has developed over the years. And this time, Messi is serious about leaving the club. He doesn’t trust the board. He doesn’t see them competent enough to turn the situation around. He sees them unable to assemble a good squad. Everything seems to point that Messi is leaving Barcelona.&nbsp;

Only few clubs can afford to have Messi on their wage-sheet. Barcelona pay him around £60 million annually. Even if Messi leaves for free, his wage could be an issue for clubs interested in acquiring his services. Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City are the only two clubs capable of paying that amount of money.

Man City have an advantage as they have Pep Guardiola as managers while Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, club director and CEO respectively of Man City,&nbsp;have also worked with Messi during their time at Barcelona. The Catalan club likes two players in Eric Garcia and Gabriel Jesus and if Messi is to join Barcelona then these two players can leave Etihad Stadium for Nou Camp. Reportedly, Messi has even had a phone call with Guardiola and Sergio Aguero, his best-friend since early footballing days.&nbsp;

<img alt="Messi and Guardiola" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f71f49ce-4d9c-41f7-b78d-f12b0baea07f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_Par7039479.jpg" />

Barcelona board’s presidential elections are also around the corner and the candidates battling for the top chair have call for immediate resignation by Bartomeu. Jordi Farre, another presidential candidate, on Wednesday, filed a vote of no confidence against Bartomeu with a view that his resignation could just force Messi to change his decision. But will he?

While Cristiano Ronaldo have found success despite changing clubs, Messi may be thinking it is time to take up a new challenge and freshen up things. But the question remains, will the year 2020 bring the biggest transfer news of all time?

LIONEL MESSI in numbers:

International Honours

2005: U-20 world champion

2008: Olympic gold

Club honours

Champions League: (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015)

La Liga titles: (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019)

Copa del Rey: 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

European Super Cup: (2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016)

Spanish Super Cup: (2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2016-2017, 2018-2019)

World Club: (2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016)

Individual honours

Ballons d'Or: (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019)

UEFA's best European player of the season: (2011, 2015)

World Cup Golden Ball best player award: 2014

Best Copa America player: 2015

Top Champions League scorer: (2008-2009: 9 goals; 2009-2010: 8; 2010-2011: 12; 2011-2012: 14; 2014-2015: 10, 2018-2019: 12)

Top La Liga scorer: (2009-2010: 34 goals, 2011-2012: 50, 2012-2013: 46, 2016-2017: 37, 2017-2018: 34, 2018-2019: 36, 2019-20: 25)

Best player at an Olympics: 2008

Best player at U-20 World Cup: 2005

Records

Number of Ballon d'Or: 6

Number of goals scored in La Liga: 444

Record number of goals scored in one season in a major league: 50 (2011-2012)

All time top scorer for Argentina: 70 (2006-19)

Number of goals scored in a calendar year in all-competitions: 91 (2012)&nbsp;

Number of goals scored in a season in all competitions: 73 (2011-2012)

Will Lionel Messi really leave Barcelona? Is it even possible? Well, Messi leaving Barca never looked as close. The year 2020 has brought many surprises and shocks, and Messi departing from the Nou Camp could very well be the final nail in the coffin in the beautiful love story between the Argentine maestro and the Catalan club.

Will Lionel Messi really leave Barcelona? Is it even possible? Well, Messi leaving Barca never looked as close. The year 2020 has brought many surprises and shocks, and Messi departing from the Nou Camp could very well be the final nail in the coffin in the beautiful love story between the Argentine maestro and the Catalan club. Fed up with board politics and how the club has been performing on the pitch, Messi on Tuesday handed in a transfer request to Barcelona board requesting them to release him of his duties. Interestingly, Messi has a EUR 700 million release clause but another crucial clause in his contract states he can leave the club for free after the end of every season. With COVID-19 pandemic and the financial hardship clubs had to face, it is near to impossible that any club with shell out EUR 700 million but will Messi leave the Spanish giants for free? Apparently, Messi’s clause which allows him to leave for free ended on May 31, 2020 but the entourage of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner argues that the season was extended due to the shutdown and restart and hence, the clause remains active. What’s next? A legal battle may follow if Messi pushes his exit. IN PICS | Stay or go? Messi in legal tangle with Barcelona over leaving club 🎥 Dozens of fans in front of the club's offices showing their disagreements with the board with several shouts. @esport3 #FCB pic.twitter.com/t0tQBKNHut — Hagrid ✆ (@HagridFCB) August 25, 2020 × Messi on Tuesday sent a fax to Barcelona asking them to allow him to leave the club. Tweets from Catalan President Quim Torra i Pla, club legend Carles Puyol confirmed that if Messi were to leave Barca then it is now or never. Fans started to gather outside Barcelona offices, chanting 'Bartomeu out' and that sums up the seriousness of the entire matter. Respeto y admiración, Leo. Todo mi apoyo, amigo. — Carles Puyol (@Carles5puyol) August 25, 2020 × Barcelona have not been the same on the football pitch since the departure of Pep Guardiola. While Tito Vilanova tried to continue Guardiola’s legacy, his untimely demise due to cancer left everyone in shock. Gerardo Martino, Luis Enrique, Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien came and went. ALSO READ: Lionel Messi hands in his transfer request to Barcelona Catalunya serà sempre casa teva. Moltes gràcies per tots aquest temps de felicitat i d’un futbol extraordinari. Hem tingut la sort de compartir uns anys de les nostres vides amb el millor jugador del món. I un noble esportista No t’oblidarem mai. Leo Messi, Creu de Sant Jordi. pic.twitter.com/Ojev577MoE — Quim Torra i Pla (@QuimTorraiPla) August 25, 2020 × While many will argue Barcelona won good number of trophies under Enrique but it was largely due to the epic troika of Neymar-Suarez-Messi. Players were unhappy with how the team performed in the UEFA Champions League and managers were continued to be sacked. The defeats against AS Roma, Liverpool didn’t help their case and the humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich felt like the house of cards could just crumble and it did. Ronald Koeman, a Barcelona legend, was appointed as the manager but the way he is approaching the senior players to discuss about their roles in the club has played a role in the fallout. Koeman, apparently, told Suarez that he is not needed in the club over a phone call. Sergio Busquets was told he would not have a key role in the club next season. Messi was reportedly told by Koeman that ‘privileges’ are over. Something which may have irked the Argentine megastar. Bartomeu’s presence as club president hasn’t had a long-lasting impact – on the squad and financially. The club is in debt, the big buys of Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele haven’t worked out. Neymar has left the club and was never bought back despite heavy interest from both sides. Messi felt enough is enough. ALSO READ: Will Lionel Messi leave Barcelona? Man City 'crunching numbers' for Argentine maestro Messi wants a winning project where he can continue to win trophies and satisfy the hunger he has developed over the years. And this time, Messi is serious about leaving the club. He doesn’t trust the board. He doesn’t see them competent enough to turn the situation around. He sees them unable to assemble a good squad. Everything seems to point that Messi is leaving Barcelona. Only few clubs can afford to have Messi on their wage-sheet. Barcelona pay him around £60 million annually. Even if Messi leaves for free, his wage could be an issue for clubs interested in acquiring his services. Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City are the only two clubs capable of paying that amount of money. Man City have an advantage as they have Pep Guardiola as managers while Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, club director and CEO respectively of Man City, have also worked with Messi during their time at Barcelona. The Catalan club likes two players in Eric Garcia and Gabriel Jesus and if Messi is to join Barcelona then these two players can leave Etihad Stadium for Nou Camp. Reportedly, Messi has even had a phone call with Guardiola and Sergio Aguero, his best-friend since early footballing days. Barcelona board’s presidential elections are also around the corner and the candidates battling for the top chair have call for immediate resignation by Bartomeu. Jordi Farre, another presidential candidate, on Wednesday, filed a vote of no confidence against Bartomeu with a view that his resignation could just force Messi to change his decision. But will he? While Cristiano Ronaldo have found success despite changing clubs, Messi may be thinking it is time to take up a new challenge and freshen up things. But the question remains, will the year 2020 bring the biggest transfer news of all time? LIONEL MESSI in numbers: International Honours 2005: U-20 world champion 2008: Olympic gold Club honours Champions League: (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015) La Liga titles: (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019) Copa del Rey: 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) European Super Cup: (2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016) Spanish Super Cup: (2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2016-2017, 2018-2019) World Club: (2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016) Individual honours Ballons d'Or: (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019) UEFA's best European player of the season: (2011, 2015) World Cup Golden Ball best player award: 2014 Best Copa America player: 2015 Top Champions League scorer: (2008-2009: 9 goals; 2009-2010: 8; 2010-2011: 12; 2011-2012: 14; 2014-2015: 10, 2018-2019: 12) Top La Liga scorer: (2009-2010: 34 goals, 2011-2012: 50, 2012-2013: 46, 2016-2017: 37, 2017-2018: 34, 2018-2019: 36, 2019-20: 25) Best player at an Olympics: 2008 Best player at U-20 World Cup: 2005 Records Number of Ballon d'Or: 6 Number of goals scored in La Liga: 444 Record number of goals scored in one season in a major league: 50 (2011-2012) All time top scorer for Argentina: 70 (2006-19) Number of goals scored in a calendar year in all-competitions: 91 (2012) Number of goals scored in a season in all competitions: 73 (2011-2012)

Adios, Lionel Messi?

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Messi on the market but only Europe's richest and most ambitious need apply

Adios, Lionel Messi?