Lionel Messi's father to meet with Bartomeu: Travels to Barcelona to negotiate the player's departure

Is the Messi’s saga finally coming to an end? Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father, will travel to Barcleona on Tuesday tomeet with the club’s president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday andnegotiate the player’s departure.

Messi surprised the soccer world by requesting to leave Barcelona. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner wants to leave the club for free, while Bartomeu and the rest of the board are not willing to let the player go unless his€700 Million release clause is paid or some club pays no less than€223 Million for his transfer.

Even La Liga released a statementsaying that he can only leave Barcelona if the release clause is paid. Messi decided to not attend Barcelona’s Covid-19 pre-season testing on Sunday and the first training session on Mondayto let the club know his intention to leave. New manager Ronald Koeman led his practice without the Argentina’sstar in his first day on the job.

Lionel Messi’s father travels to Barcelona

Jorge Messi, Lionel’s father and agent, will travel to Barcelona on Tuesday. He wants to meet with the club’s president Bartomeu and reach an agreement to put an end to this saga. The president and the restof the board remainfirm intheir decisionnot to let the player gounless they get money for him.

According to AS, Jorge Messi and Bartomeu have stayed in touch. They would meet on Wednesday to try to reach an agreement. However, it won’t be so simple.

Manchester City have been looking to sign Messi for years, and now could be their opportunity. The English side, with Pep Guardiola and Sergio Agüero,seems to be Messi’s first choice, but first he has to resolve his departure from Barcelona.