While disgruntled Barcelona fans staged a second day of protests after Lionel Messi formally submitted a transfer request, news of his desire to quit Camp Nou was greeted with excitement in his native Argentina at a possible reunion with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
A prominent newspaper in Argentina reported that Messi has already decided on a move to the Premier League to link up with his former mentor Guardiola.
La Nacion said Messi, 33, was planning to talk with Guardiola to help hasten a move to England.
The growing number of reports linking him with Manchester City sat well with fans in Messi's homeland.
"It seems to me this is the moment for him to abandon the comfort zone that he was in," Gustavo Lopez, a customs official walking in central Buenos Aires, told Reuters. "This is a challenge for him.
"For me, he has to go to Manchester City with Kun [Sergio] Aguero and Pep Guardiola. I think he should do it, the time is right to try and see if he can play somewhere else because until now he has always done well where he was, so let’s now see if he can do it somewhere else."
Messi rocked the football world on Tuesday by informing the Catalan giants by burofax, which is in effect a recorded letter, that he wished to leave the club on a free transfer during this transfer window.
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10 potential destinations for Messi
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MANCHESTER CITY: Relations between Lionel Messi and Barcelona are at an all time low following the club's record scorer submitting a request by fax stating he wishes to leave - on a free transfer. According to reports, an initial meeting between new coach Ronald Koeman and Messi did not go well, with the Dutchman telling the Argentine his privileges at the club where revoked. A reunion with former Barca mentor Pep Guardiola at City would seem an ideal fit, with the club's Abu Dhabi owners able to match both Messi's wage demands and his ambitions. The man with more than 700 goals to his name could be the missing piece of the puzzle that takes City to Champions League glory. EPA -
ARGENTINA: The romantic option would be for Messi to head back to Argentina and rejoin his hometown club in Rosario, Newell's Old Boys. Messi has regularly stated he would ideally love to play for his boyhood club Newell's again before he retires but has also added that security concerns over the safety of his three young children would leave him reluctant to make that move in the current climate. EPA -
ITALY: Despite their domestic dominance, Juventus again came up short in their quest for their own Holy Grail in the Champions League. While no one doubts Cristiano Ronaldo has been a success in Turin, the club are reportedly touting him to European rivals including Barcelona. Is there a parallel universe where Ronaldo and Messi swap clubs, and could it become a reality? AP Photo -
FRANCE: Neymar left Barcelona in 2017 determined to step out of Messi's shadow and prove he could be the best player on the planet. The Brazilian came close to a move back to Camp Nou in the summer of 2019, with Messi said to be pushing for his fellow attacker's return, before the move broke down. Could Messi and Neymar be reunited in Paris? Or will PSG jettison their Neymar experiment to lure Messi? The French champions are one of few clubs who can match the Argentine's exorbitant wage demands, but will the challenge of Ligue 1 excite him? AFP -
PREMIER LEAGUE: Messi is known to be a big fan of the Premier League, and national television network Cuatro claimed on Tuesday that Manchester United are making a serious attempt to lure the Argentine to Old Trafford. While Messi and his representatives believe he is entitled to a free transfer, the Spanish giants say that detail of his contract expired at the end of May and that they are holding him to his €700 million release clause. While no club is likely to trigger that, horse trading of several young players - Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford or Paul Pogba spring to mind - could bring Barca to the negotiating table. AFP -
SERIE A: Inter Milan are desperate to end Juventus' iron grip on the scudetto and club president Steven Zhang has reportedly already held talks with Messi's representatives even before the Argentine faxed in a transfer request on Tuesday. Several reports indicate that, should Messi move to San Siro, Lautaro Martinez, Inter's own Argentina international who at 23 is 10 years Messi's junior, will make the opposite move to Camp Nou. AFP -
MLS: Every club on the planet would love to have Messi if they had the finances, but few have the clout. If a move to Major League Soccer is considered then linking up with David Beckham's new Inter Miami FC franchise would seem a good fit. AFP -
QATAR: Barcelona legend Xavi has advised the board to do 'all they can to make Messi happy', which seems to have been roundly ignored. The former Barca midfielder, who acted as supplier in chief for a good few Messi goals during their time as teammates, distanced himself from the coach's job following Quique Setien's sacking, perhaps anticipating the malaise that was to follow. Now in charge of Qatari club Al Sadd, the lure of playing under Xavi - perhaps with a long-term view of following him back to Catalunya one day - could come into Messi's thinking. AFP -
JAPAN: Former Barcelona teammates Andreas Iniesta and Sergi Samper are already on the books at Japan's Vissel Kobe and a move to the J-League could appeal to Messi as he looks to wind down his career. Reuters -
CHINA: For a man whose annual salary is a reported £26 million, money may not be the motivating factor in any move for Messi. If he were to follow the well-trodden path of European and South American players and head to the Chinese Super League, it's probably fair to say he won't be taking a hit in the pocket. AFP
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Barcelona replied the same, telling Messi they want him to stay. A clause in his contract allows him to walk away for free so long as he communicates that decision. Barcelona believe the deadline for that clause to be applied has expired, as he had to inform them of his decision before the end of May.
But, given the extraordinary circumstances of the 2019/20 season dealing with an unprecedented shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Messi’s camp, who argue that the extended campaign officially ended after Sunday's Champions League final, are set to argue that the deadline should be set on August 31.
Barca believe the law is on their side, and have told the player any club wishing to negotiate must first meet his €700 million (Dh3.039 billion) buyout clause.
City have emerged as favourites to sign the six-time Ballon d'Or winner who has won every major title with Barcelona, the club he has been on the books with since he was 13.
Some of his career highlights at Barca came under the guidance of Guardiola, who is now City manager, and the prospect they might team up again is mouth-watering for Messi's compatriots.
"There are always cycles [in life] and cycles come to an end and it is good that he goes down another path," said Facundo Silva, a 45-year old hairdresser.
"As a Boca fan I’d like to see him play Boca but that’s impossible. I think that wherever Guardiola is he will do much better that now because Barcelona has practically come apart. I hope he does well at another club."
Messi has long said he hopes to one day play at his boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys in Rosario but that appears unlikely for now.
Barca fans staged a second day of protests outside Camp Nou, where the team plays its home games, demanding the resignation of club president Josep Maria Bartomeu whom they blame for the malaise surrounding the club.
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Barca fans protest outside Camp Nou
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A Barcelona fan holds up a Lionel Messi shirt outside the Camp Nou after captain Lionel Messi told Barcelona he wishes to leave the club immediately, a source confirmed on Tuesday. Reuters -
Dozens of FC Barcelona fans gather outside Camp Nou Stadium to demand the resignation of the club's president, Josep Maria Bartomeu. EPA -
Dozens of FC Barcelona fans gather outside Camp Nou Stadium. EPA -
Barcelona fans react outside the Camp Nou after captain Lionel Messi told Barcelona he wishes to leave the club. Reuters -
Barcelona fans gathered outside the Camp Nou. Reuters -
Barcelona fans mingle outside the Camp Nou. Reuters -
Barcelona fans are seen outside the Camp Nou. Reuters -
A Barcelona fan holds up a Lionel Messi shirt outside the Camp Nou. Reuters -
A Barcelona fan holds up a Lionel Messi shirt outside the Camp Nou. Reuters -
Dozens of FC Barcelona fans gathered outside Camp Nou Stadium. EPA -
Dozens of FC Barcelona fans gather outside Camp Nou Stadium. EPA -
Barcelona fans are seen outside the Camp Nou. Reuters -
Barcelona fans are seen outside the Camp Nou. Reuters -
Barcelona fans are seen outside the Camp Nou. Reuters -
Lionel Messi endured a disappointing season at Barcelona. EPA
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Messi was at loggerheads with the club board for much of the 2019/20 season. The club's record scorer of more than 630 goals believes he and the rest of the squad have been unfairly targeted for the club's disappointing campaign, including the sacking of two coaches – Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien – a refusal to defer wages during the coronavirus pandemic, surrendering La Liga title to Real Madrid as well as a humiliating exit to eventual winners Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
A meeting with new coach, Ronald Koeman, last week was said to be the last straw for Messi after the Dutchman told the player his club privileges – the Argentine has long been accused of holding too much power in the dressing room – were over.
According to a report on football website Goal.com Messi intends to give his version of events for in the coming days, with a desire on his part to send a message to the fans that remain fiercely loyal to him.
