BREAKING NEWS: Messi to leave Barca as contract talks collapse
Barcelona have announced Lionel Messi will not renew his contract with the Catalan club.
Lionel Messi will not return to Barcelona due to “economic and structural obstacles”, the club announced on Thursday.
The all time leading scorer of the Catalan club will now be hoping to make a link up with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, but has also been rumoured to be in the books of Paris Saint Germain.
Issuing a shock statement on Thursday evening, Barcelona said: ‘Despite having reached an agreement between FC Barcelona and Leo Messi and with the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, it cannot be formalized due to economic and structural obstacles (Spanish LaLiga regulations) .
Given this situation, Lionel Messi will not continue linked to FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of both the player and the Club cannot finally be fulfilled.
‘Barca would like to thank with all its heart the player’s contribution to the enhancement of the institution and wishes him the best in his personal and professional life.’
Earlier in the evening the news had initially been broke via Catalan radio outlet RAC1, who noted that Messi’s situation at Barca had become ‘irreversible’.
By Saaka Yakubu Issah