To hunt Messi, Barça used … PSG!

August 5, 2021. Pressured by restricted monetary means, FC Barcelona resigned itself to letting Lionel Messi go free on the finish of his contract after a heartbreaking farewell.

At the very least that’s the official model as a result of, actually, the separation between the 2 events turned out to be extra tense if we’re to imagine the biographer of the Argentine striker, Guillem Balague. In accordance with him, the Blaugrana have certainly used Paris Saint-Germain, membership lastly joined by the sevenfold Ballon d’Or, as a pretext to ratify the divorce.

PSG as a pretext

“The membership’s model was that Jorge (Messi, his father, editor’s observe) had already mentioned with PSG and that he was within the technique of tightening the contractual knot round Barcelona’s neck“Balague defined on Twitter. In July 2021, the Pulga and the Catalan membership nevertheless had a pre-agreement to increase, besides that the president Joan Laporta would have lastly determined in any other case. “Rafa Yuste, the membership’s sporting vice-president, has contacted Jorge Messi (father and agent): ‘Laporta says it received’t occur… that he’s now not ’. Jorge needed to listen to it from Laporta’s personal mouth and so referred to as him to be advised: ‘I don’t wish to do that anymore. It’s end’“.

Membership’s model was that Jorge had already ben in discussions with PSG and was tightening a contractual noose round Barcelona’s neck. This was a false. Leo was clear he needed to be a part of a aggressive group however was not a situation for staying. His unequivocal want was to stay

— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) November 11, 2022

Did Messi-PSG contacts exist already or did Laporta use these rumors merely as a pretext? A priori, the Messi clan and the capital membership have been in good contact a number of months earlier than the top of his contract, as indicated by an article by The Group from the summer time of 2021. However, these contacts with PSG nonetheless look so much like a pretext put ahead to justify the departure of the star, who solely needed to be again. The proof: Laporta doesn’t maintain a grudge in any respect and doesn’t miss a possibility to decide up argentinian. “Leo is aware of Barcelona will at all times be his dwelling“, recalled once more Saturday within the newspaper Sport the chief, who hopes to repatriate his legend in June 2023 on the finish of his contract in Paris.