Lionel Messi is going nowhere, staying at Barcelona

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has decided to stay back in Barcelona, after placing a transfer request last week.

The Argentine player decision comes after days of intense speculation sparked by Messi’s attempt to evoke a clause in his contract which says he can leave for free after the end of the season in June.

Messi and his legal team argued on Friday that he had exercised a clause that enabed him to leave without the financial penalty at the end of each season.

In a recent statement, Messi said: “I would never in my life go against the club’s judgment and that is why I am staying in Barcelona. It was a tough decision. I always said I wanted to end my career here and I do.”

Barcelona football club has said the exit clause expired in June and that Messi’s deal which runs until 2021 is still valid. They claimed that if Messi wanted to leave, he or his next club would have to pay his €700 million release clause or face legal action.

Messi’s father Jorge Messi, who is also his agent  had arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday for a meeting with team president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Sources told ESPN that the meeting was positive and constructive, and Barca was not ruling out Messi staying for another season.

La Liga backed up Barca’s position, saying they would not process Messi’s transfer unless his buyout clause was paid. That stance was criticized by Messi’s father, Jorge, in a letter sent to La Liga on Friday, insisting that the €700 million fees was no longer applicable.

Manchester City was hoping to take on Lionel Messi’s transfer request to land the Argentina superstar, in what would have been a club-record transfer fee for any player ever in English football, Messi has cleared the air by putting out a statement that he is staying in Barcelona till June 30, 2021 when his contract expires.