Lionel Messi’s father has claimed it will be tough for the forward to remain with Barcelona beyond this summer.
Messi informed the club last month that he wished to leave in the wake of their 8-2 Champions League thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich, claiming a clause in his contract would allow him to walk away for free.
That has been disputed by Barca, who on Wednesday were set for talks with Messi’s father Jorge after he arrived in Spain.
When asked what he thought about the possibility of his son staying, Jorge Messi was quoted as telling TV station Cuatro it would be “difficult”, and subsequently repeated the word when asked “how do you see his future at Barcelona?”
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The 33-year-old Argentina international has been linked with Manchester City, and when asked whether the Premier League club was a good option, Jorge Messi said: “I don’t know. There’s nothing yet.”
He added that he had not spoken to City boss Pep Guardiola, saying: “No. (I didn’t talk) to anyone.”
It is believed the clause the six-time Ballon d’Or winner is attempting to activate expired earlier in the year but that he feels – because the season was extended following the coronavirus pandemic – the expiration date should also be adjusted accordingly.
Barcelona disagree and were backed by LaLiga on Sunday, hours after Messi failed to show up for his scheduled Covid-19 test which would have allowed him to start pre-season training with new head coach Ronald Koeman the following day.
