AN unnamed club has offered Lionel Messi an incredible £85million signing-on fee to join them at the end of his Barcelona contract.
The Argentinian turned down a new Nou Camp deal last summer with reports suggesting he was unhappy with the club’s treatment of him during his high-profile tax fraud case.
Talks are set to resume next month when his father Jorge flies to Spain to attend the Clasico with Real Madrid.
Keep up to date with ALL the Barcelona news, gossip and transfers on our club page
Messi, 29, is understood to be demanding a whopping £825,000-a-week to sign – over £300,000 more than Cristiano Ronaldo pockets at Real Madrid.
But Barcelona cannot afford such a deal, with talks already in the pipeline over expensive contract extensions for Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic.
Bosses remain confident that Messi, who has scored 496 goals for the club since making his debut in 2004, will agree to spend the rest of his career in Catalonia.
But, according to reports in Spain, an undisclosed team is ready to test Messi’s commitment to the club with an eye-watering offer.
Related Stories
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s current deal – which includes a £215m buyout clause – expires at the end of next season.
But if no new agreement is reached, he will be able to open talks with clubs in just over a year’s time.
And respected Spanish newspaper El Mundo claims that he has been offered £85m to turn down Barca’s offers and leave for FREE in 2018.
That fee would then be paid to the superstar on top of his wages when he joins.
Manchester City are known admirers of Messi, with boss Pep Guardiola desperate for a reunion with the Argentina captain.
The Etihad chief is believed to be willing to offer £500,000-a-week to try and lure the star to the Premier League.
Manchester United are also monitoring Messi’s situation at Barca.
But, as we revealed last week, Old Trafford chiefs have accepted that neighbours City will be top of the pecking order should a deal become possible.
Leave a comment