Argentine star Lionel Messi appeared for the first time since the bitter loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, and this came at a time when his chances of continuing with Barcelona for another season have increased, after weeks of controversy.
Spanish newspapers published photos of Messi, which they said were returning last night when the Argentine star moved to the home of his friend Luis Suarez.
Es la ltima imagen de Leo Messi hasta el momento.
El argentino acude cada día a casa de Suárez para contarle como van las negociaciones https://t.co/sklwxxCcoN
- Deportes Cuatro (@DeportesCuatro) September 3, 2020
Messi has not appeared since the bitter loss of Bayern 8-2 on 14 August, and he has not made any statements despite the crisis sparked by the request he made to the Barcelona administration to allow him to leave.
The Catalan club's management rejected Messi's request and adhered to his continuation with the team until the end of his contract in 2021, or to obtain 700 million euros, the value of the penalty clause.
Jorge Messi, the father of the Argentine star - who is also his agent - ruled out the player's continuation with Barcelona, and yesterday met the club's president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, and various reports confirmed that the meeting did not lead to a result because each party adhered to its position.
However, developments in recent hours indicated that Messi will continue with the Catalan club until next summer.
These developments began with information reported by the Argentine "Tyc" channel, which confirmed that Messi will stay with Barcelona by 90%.
🚨🚨🚨🚨 EXCLUSIVA #DeportesCuatro
💥💥 El padre de Messi confirma POR PRIMERA VEZ que Leo Messi está estudiando la opción de quedar un año más en el Barça https://t.co/0fVtIYrngT
- Deportes Cuatro (@DeportesCuatro) September 3, 2020
Expectations were reinforced by new statements by Messi's father, in which he said that it is not unlikely that the Argentine star will continue in the team during this season, and confirmed that the player's legal team is studying this possibility.
And Jorge Messi confirmed in the statements carried by "Cuarto" that the meeting that he had with the President of Barcelona took place in good conditions.
And some press sources expected that Messi will come out today with statements that remove the ambiguity about his future.
These developments come after reports in England confirmed that Manchester City were not enthusiastic about contracting Messi due to the huge cost and risks of facing new troubles due to the Financial Fair Play Act.
With the decline in options due to the economic and legal complications of his exit from Barcelona in the current period, continuing with Barcelona will be the best option for Messi, before leaving for free next summer.