Laliga has weighed into the ongoing transfer speculation concerning FC Barcelona captain Lionel Messi and clarifies that any club interested in signing the Argentina superstar must be ready to shell out a certain sum representing the release clause in his contract with the club
Messi recently informed Barcelona that he wanted to leave the club hoping to activate a clause that permitted him to leave at the end of a season as a free agent , and the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus have had their representatives working on getting the 33 year old’s nod.
However, Barcelona have told the player that the clause has expired, which his representatives disputed on the ground that the deadline expiration was occasioned by the prolonged season caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to Sky Sports report, there is €700million release clause in Messi’s contract with Barcelona which must be paid by a suitor before the star could switch.
Messi’s current contract with Barcelona will expire in June 2021, and Laliga has deemed it necessary to clarify Messi’s valid deal with Barca amid speculations in the media.
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“With regard to the various interpretations (some of which are contradictory) published by a number of media outlets in recent days in relation to the contractual situation surrounding FC Barcelona player Lionel Andrés Messi, after having studied his contract with the club, LaLiga considers it appropriate to clarify that:,” Laliga’s Statement on Sunday reads
“The contract is currently in force and features a release clause to be applied in the event that Lionel Andrés Messi should decide to activate the early unilateral termination of the contract, vidpursuant to Article 16 of the Royal Decree 1006/1985 of 26 June, which regulates the specific labour status of professional athletes.
“In line with the regulations and procedure that apply in such instances, LaLiga shall not proceed with the release required for the player to be deregistered from the Spanish Football Federation unless the aforementioned clause has been paid.”
six-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi, has been at Barcelona since the age of 13, and has scored 634 goals from 731 matches, bagging 285 assists – an incredible contribution that helped Barca win 10 Laliga titles, six Copa del Rey, four Champions League crowns, three UEFA Super Cup titles, three FIFA Club World Cup titles, among others.
