'No Agreement': Lionel Messi's future remains in doubt after the meeting between his father and Bartomeu

What’s going to happen with Lionel Messi? His father and agent, Jorge Messi, traveled to Barcelona and met with the club’s president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday to negotiate the player’s departure. However, they failed to reach an agreement, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.

Before the meeting, Messi’s father told the press that it would be difficult for the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to stay in Barcelona. The Argentine superstar needs a change after spending almost 20 years at the Catalan club. However, Barcelona don’t want to let him go for free.

Of course, the two parts have their differences. Messi wants to leave for free to sign for the team he wants, while Barcelona will notlet him go unless his €700 Million release clause is paid. The negotiations failed and, according to Argentinean newspaper Olé,Jorge Messi did not give up and told Bartomeu that Messi was leaving.

Bartomeu wants Messi to stay

According to Sport, the meeting between Jorge Messi and Bartomeu lasted an hour and a half. Messi’s father tried to reach an agreement so his son could leave for free. However, the Barcelona president tried to convince him that Barcelona is the best option for Messiand that the Argentine superstar should stay at the club to finish his career there. And, apparently, that’s something that won’t happen.

Bartomeu told Jorge Messi that Barcelona’s new manager Ronald Koeman wants to count on the Argentine for next season and build the new Barca team around him. The Spanish newspaper also revealed that the president wants to offer a two-year contract extension to Messi.

The first chapter of the negotiations for Messi’s departure from Barcelona ended in failure. Now, it will only be a matter of time before the two parties agree to a new meeting to try to finally reach an agreement and decide the future of one of the best soccer players in history.