A decisive session between Messi's father and Barcelona president ... "The extension of the contract is at stake."
The Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" revealed that the survival or departure of the Argentine star Lionel Messi from Barcelona will be determined by an upcoming session next Wednesday between Jorge Messi, father of the Barca captain and his agent, with the president of the Catalan club, Josep Bartomeu.
The newspaper said: "Jorge, who is currently in Argentina, will travel to Spain to meet Bartomeu on Wednesday, as Messi's father seeks to find an amicable solution to end the current crisis, allowing his son to leave the Catalan club without entering into a legal battle."
On the other hand, the newspaper stressed that the position of the Barcelona president has not changed and he will attend the meeting to confirm his refusal to allow Messi to leave before the end of his contract in 2021, or to obtain the value of the penalty clause (700 million euros), noting that "Bartomeu will also offer to extend the contract between the two parties." .
It is reported that Messi wants to use a clause in his four-year contract, signed in 2017, which would have allowed him to leave the club for free if he had requested it by June 10, but Barcelona argues that the deadline for that has expired, and the player's lawyers are looking to prove this date, nominally. End of the season, as it has now become irrelevant after coronavirus delays that have extended the season and the team played matches in August.