La Liga

Barcelona reportedly had two bids for right-back Max Aarons rejected by Norwich City as they seek a replacement for Nelson Semedo.

ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported on Saturday that Semedo is nearing an agreement with a Premier League side that could see him leave the Camp Nou within a week. In turn, Barca are amplifying their efforts to fill the potential void, though they face competition from Bayern Munich for Aarons.

Barcelona made an initial bid of around €20 million to take Aarons on loan for the 2020-21 season with the option to make it a full transfer next season, per ESPN. That proposal, along with a second, was rejected, but the La Liga club remains keen on the England under-21 international.

The Blaugrana are seeking more than €30 million to finalize a move involving Semedo, and they are planning to reinvest a sizable portion of that money to sign his replacement, according to ESPN. They are also interested in Ajax right-back Sergino Dest, a United States international.

Aarons broke into Norwich's first team from the club's youth academy in 2018. He's immediately become a stalwart along the back line, making 43 appearances across all competitions during the 2018-19 term and 40 more last season as the Canaries competed in the Premier League.

The 20-year-old was linked to Spurs during the winter transfer window, but he told reporters in January the speculation about his future wasn't a major focus:

"It is what happens when the window is open. That stuff is dealt with by the club and my agent. My agent just tells me and the manager just tells me to stick to my football and come in and work as hard as I can and play at the weekend.

"People say it, but it is generally true: I am just focused on my football turning up for each game and being 100 percent ready and working as hard as I can in training to improve. It is something I don't look at. But it is one of those things that happens when the window is open."

Aarons' representatives and Barcelona have already reached an agreement on personal terms, so there shouldn't be any hurdles if the clubs can come to terms on a transfer fee, per ESPN.

It's the latest transfer saga in a drama-filled offseason for Barca, highlighted by Lionel Messi's attempt to secure a move before announcing he would remain with the Spanish giants for the 2020-21 season.

Barcelona are set to open their La Liga campaign on Sept. 27 against Villarreal.

After seeking a transfer this summer, Lionel Messi has reportedly returned to Barcelona on Monday for training ahead of the 2020-21 season, according to Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens of ESPN. 

The superstar won't join his teammates right away because of La Liga's COVID-19 protocol, but the Argentine will train individually until he is cleared. The club has multiple friendlies before beginning its league season on Sept. 27 against Villarreal. 

Messi was initially hoping to leave Barcelona on a free transfer, but it would have required a dispute in court after disagreements over his opt-out date. 

"Now I am going to continue in the club because the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the €700 million (£624m/$823m) clause, and that this is impossible," he said in an interview with Ruben Uria of Goal.com.

Barcelona had also told the forward he could sit out the season if he wanted to leave for free.

The 33-year-old had a clause in his contract that allowed him to opt out by June 10, but he felt it should have been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic that altered the season schedule. La Liga sided with the team in the dispute.

Manchester City was reportedly confident in landing Messi if he had transferred, reuniting the forward with coach Pep Guardiola.

Though he had stayed away from Barcelona during the disagreement, he is now back in the fold and ready to help the team for the upcoming season.

Barca are coming off a disappointing season in which they finished second to Real Madrid for the La Liga title and suffered an 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. The club is hoping to get back to its standard of winning trophies and keeping the six-time Ballon d'Or winner provides a significant boost.

Lionel Messi still reportedly wants out of Barcelona.

According to Rodrigo Faez and Moises Llorens of ESPN, "the face-to-face meeting between Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and Jorge Messi ended in a stalemate on Wednesday as Lionel Messi continues to look for a way out of the club, sources told ESPN."

Messi's father Jorge is also his representative. 

And so the stalemate continues. Messi believes he should be allowed to leave on a free transfer after informing Barcelona he wants to leave, exercising a clause in his contract. Essentially, every year Messi can leave on a free if he exercises that clause before the end of the season. He did not report for the team's preseason training. 

Barcelona has maintained that he had a fixed date to inform them (that date has varied between May 31 and June 10) and let them know after that date. The club reportedly is maintaining he cannot leave on a free and has a €700 million release clause that will need to be paid for him to depart. 

La Liga has sided with Barcelona on the matter, with a potential clash in the courts still on the table. 

The other option, of course, is that Barcelona could back off the €700 million release clause and negotiate a transfer fee with another club, likely Manchester City, for far less money. Faez and Llorens reported that "Man City are working on a deal for Messi and are working on one formula that would see him sign for the Premier League side before ending his career with partner club New York City FC in Major League Soccer."

In such a scenario Barcelona move on from a club legend without the terrible press of a long and protracted breakup, the sort of scenario other superstar players would surely monitor closely and consider before doing business with Barca. 

That seems the most likely outcome. Messi returning to Barcelona, at this point, seems incredibly unlikely. Even if Barcelona wins in the courts and stubbornly refuses to sell for anything less than the €700 million release clause, keeping an unhappy Messi—arguably the most influential figure at the club, and certainly the most visible and popular—is a recipe for an extremely dysfunctional year, only to lose him on a free in a year anyway. 

Messi's time with the Catalan club looks to be over. It's simply a matter of what Barcelona recoups in his sale, and where the greatest player in the history of the sport winds up. 

Jorge Messi, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi's father and agent, will reportedly meet with Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday to discuss the superstar's future.

ESPN's Moises Llorens and Alex Kirkland reported Tuesday the elder Messi is expected to demand his son be allowed to leave on a free transfer as part of a disputed clause in his contract, while Bartomeu is planning to propose a two-year extension through the 2022-23 season.

The most important factor in the potential blockbuster transfer is settling the contract debate.

Messi's camp believes he's eligible to move freely based on a clause that allowed him to inform the club of his intentions at season's end, which came later than usual this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Barcelona has stood firm that such a declaration needed to occur in June, per ESPN.

If Barca's stance prevails, it could be difficult for even the giants of Europe to build the type of financial offer necessary to pay the Blaugrana a transfer fee along with paying Messi's contract.

Barcelona's first team technical secretary, Ramon Planes, has made it clear the Spanish club want the six-time Ballon d'Or winner to stay at the club as it rebuilds following a rare trophy-less campaign:

Manchester City are the favorites to land Messi if he moves during the current transfer window—which runs through Oct. 5—with Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan among the other high-profile clubs monitoring the situation, per James Whaling of the Daily Mirror.

Barcelona are "not optimistic" Messi will sign an extension with the club, but the situation remains unsettled since a "lengthy court case" would be needed to solve the debate over his current deal, according to Llorens and Kirkland.

CNN's Paul Gittings reported the Argentinian sensation didn't undergo COVID-19 testing with the club ahead of the preseason and will be ineligible to play unless he does.

It's a complex scenario with many variables involved. That amplifies the need for talks to settle it, with La Liga play set to begin Sept. 27 and just over a month until the transfer deadline.

After getting support from La Liga about Lionel Messi's contract terms, Barcelona believe the superstar would have to sit out the 2020-21 season in order to leave on a free transfer, according to Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens of ESPN.

Messi has a release clause in his contract that requires payment of €700 ($843.7 million) for him to leave Barcelona. 

Though the forward had a "termination clause" that allowed him to end his contract at the conclusion of each season, La Liga confirmed the deadline of June 26 had passed. Messi's side argues the deadline should be changed as the end of the season was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 33-year-old did not report for COVID-19 testing at the start of training camp for Barcelona Sunday, per Marsden and Llorens. His legal team has advised him not to take part in the preseason to continue the claim that his contract has already been terminated.

These disagreements could lead to the player's future being settled in court.

If he does leave Barcelona, Messi is reportedly likely to move to Manchester City, per ESPN. Sport (h/t Marca) reported the Premier League club would offer a contract worth €750 million ($895 million) over five years that would include three seasons at Manchester City and two in the MLS with NYCFC.

The start of the deal would create one of the top attacks in the world, with Messi playing alongside Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and others.

Manchester City led the Premier League with 102 goals last year and would be even better after adding a player who has six Ballon d'Or awards as the best player in the world. Messi remained productive in 2019-20 with 25 goals and 21 assists in La Liga.

However, it's unlikely he would be willing to sit out a year at his age, creating plenty of question marks about his future. 

Lionel Messi's messy (ahem) divorce from FC Barcelona just got more complicated.

La Liga released a statement Sunday saying the disgruntled star's £632 million ($843.7 million) release clause remains in effect and must be paid if he is to leave the club.

"In relation to the different interpretations (some of them contradictory to each other) published in recent days in different media, related to the contractual situation of the player Lionel Andrés Messi with FC Barcelona, LaLiga wishes to clarify that with regards to the player's contract with his club:

• The contract is currently in force and has a 'termination clause' applicable to the event that Lionel Andrés Messi decides to activate the early unilateral termination of the contract, carried out in accordance with article 16 of Royal Decree 1006/1985, of June 26, which regulates the special employment relationship of professional athletes.
• In compliance with the applicable regulations, and following the corresponding procedure in these cases, LaLiga will not carry out the prior visa process for the player to be removed from the federation if they have not previously paid the amount of said clause."

Messi has claimed he is a free agent because he activated an early termination clause in the deal. Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu previously admitted to Messi's deal having such a clause. 

"Messi has a contract that we signed two years ago, a four year deal, in which in the final season, before the start of the 2020/21 season, he can leave Barcelona, to quit football or to go elsewhere," Bartomeu told Barca TV.

However, Barcelona insist the deadline for Messi to walk away has passed, despite the season being extended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Argentina superstar has refused to report to training, believing he is no longer under obligation to Barcelona. Manchester City is widely believed to be the favorite to land Messi once his contractual situation is sorted out.

Messi has played for Barcelona since joining the club's youth program in 2001. It's likely his departure will play out via an appeals system, barring Barcelona significantly reducing his world-record release clause. 

Lionel Messi reportedly will not participate in FC Barcelona's coronavirus testing Sunday or preseason training Monday after requesting a transfer.

According to ESPN's Moises Llorens and Alex Kirkland, Messi informed Barcelona of his decision Saturday amid a battle with the club regarding the language in his contract.

Messi and his legal team are reportedly arguing that he can leave the club without triggering a €700 million release clause in his contract since he informed the team of his decision within a certain time frame.

Barcelona feel as though Messi missed the deadline since a decision was supposed to be made by June, but Messi and his representatives believe the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the end of the La Liga season means his decision was made in time.

Part of his rationale behind not partaking in Barca's preseason training is reportedly the idea that doing so could hurt Messi's case in getting released from his contract.

ESPN's Llorens and Sam Marsden reported Friday that the English Premier League's Manchester City are confident Messi favors them in a potential transfer situation.

While Man City reportedly know landing Messi could be "extremely difficult" since Barca have been reluctant to part with him, they are "hopeful" Barcelona will eventually give in.

If Manchester City do secure Messi, the club is reportedly considering offering him a three-year deal to play for them in the EPL followed by a two-year option to play for New York City FC in the United States.

Per Llorens and Marsden, Messi spoke with Man City manager Pep Guardiola on the phone last week about his desire to leave Barca.

Messi reportedly spoke with former Barcelona teammate and current Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar about transferring as well. PSG reportedly have interest in Messi.

While Barcelona may not be thrilled at the prospect of moving a player who has scored 444 career league goals for them and led them to 10 La Liga titles, the 33-year-old Messi may force their hand.

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo reportedly reached out to Jorge Messi, the father of Barcelona's Lionel Messi, to discuss a potential blockbuster transfer for the superstar forward. 

Speculation about Messi's future has run rampant since ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens reported Tuesday he informed the Spanish club of his intent to leave during the offseason.

Along with PSG, Manchester City and Inter Milan lead the group of European giants monitoring Messi's situation, per AS. They are among the select number of clubs that have the financial strength to make a serious push to sign one of the best players in football history.

There are hurdles to any potential deal, though.

First, Messi and Barcelona are at odds about the terminology of his contract that states he's allowed to leave on a free transfer at season's end. The forward believes he can invoke the clause now following the conclusion of the coronavirus pandemic-delayed campaign, while the club says it needed to be used before the beginning of summer, per ESPN.

If a transfer fee must be paid on top of the 33-year-old Argentinian's contract, it will further limit the number of clubs capable of making a transfer happen.

Second, Barca sporting director Ramon Planes has insisted the La Liga side want to keep Messi amid restructuring of the squad following a rare trophyless campaign:

Meanwhile, former Barcelona teammate Neymar reached out to the six-time Ballon d'Or winner over the phone Thursday to discuss a potential reunion with PSG, per ESPN's Julien Laurens.

Neymar's club teammate and Messi's international teammate Angel Di Maria also reached out to the 33-year-old, according to Laurens.

The summer transfer window, which was adjusted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will now run through Oct. 5.

There's no bigger question over the next five weeks than whether Messi, who joined Barca's youth academy 19 years ago, will still be a member of the Blaugrana when the deadline passes.

Embattled Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is prepared to resign if Lionel Messi will reaffirm his commitment to the club, according to ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

Tales Azzoni and Joseph Wilson of the Associated Press confirmed Tuesday that Messi told Barcelona he wants to leave this summer. Marsden and Llorens reported that Bartomeu's resignation probably wouldn't be enough for Messi to reverse course.

Barcelona have already moved up their presidential election from next summer to March 2021, and Bartomeu is unable to run for another term.

Even though Bartomeu will be out one way or the other, some wondered whether Messi's public request was a way to expedite his departure.

The club already sacked manager Quique Setien and dismissed sporting director Eric Abidal following the 8-2 Champions League capitulation to Bayern Munich. Messi and Abidal had engaged in a war of words earlier in the season.

A clause in his deal allowed Messi to effectively leave on a free transfer if he informed Barcelona of his decision by the end of June. It's unclear whether the language in his contract means the deadline was extended since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the conclusion of Europe's domestic leagues back.

The Guardian's Sid Lowe wondered, however, whether the situation had escalated beyond the point where Messi would return to the Camp Nou based on that looming legal battle:

"It is no way to seek reconciliation. When two sides have reached the point that they are talking through lawyers and formal letters, there's not much love left. All that's left is to negotiate or to fight, to limit the damage or risk multiplying it. The question now is what that clause says: does it set a specific date? And when? If so, the legal position is clear. If not, if it says something more vague, referring instead to some variation on 'the end of the season', then that can be argued in court. And, yes, this really might end up in court: club versus captain.

"Captain? The best player they have had. The best player anyone has had, perhaps. There is no satisfactory resolution now."

In addition, Barcelona are potentially facing a significant rebuild relative to the heights they enjoyed under managers Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique. Bartomeu's resignation wouldn't single-handedly transform the club, and Barca is potentially facing a drastic change in direction resulting from the presidential election.

Messi turned 33 in June, and he has spent some of his prime years watching Barcelona spiral into dysfunction around him. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner may be tired of waiting on things to improve.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi informed the club he wishes to terminate his contract, the Associated Press confirmed.

Spanish paper Marca and additional outlets in Spain and Argentina (via Eurosport's Pete Sharland) first reported the news Tuesday.

A meeting with new manager Ronald Koeman apparently led Messi to start seriously considering his future. Argentine paper Diario Ole (h/t AS) reported that Koeman informed Messi "that's the end of the privileges" and indicated he would take an "inflexible" approach with the players.

ESPN's Moises Llorens and Rodrigo Faez reported Monday that Manchester City had been looking to see whether they could make a transfer for Messi work within the boundaries of Financial Fair Play.

"City know any deal for Messi is complicated but want to be prepared should the option of bringing him arise," the report stated. "Therefore, they're looking into the costs that would be involved if Barca agree to sell for a reasonable price."

Spanish outlet El Pais (via AS) reported in September that Messi's contract included a clause allowing him to opt out at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. However, the clause expired at the end of June and it's unclear whether the deadline was altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic extending the season.

Speculation over Messi's future at the Camp Nou grew in the wake of Barcelona's humiliating 8-2 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich. He only has one year left on his contract and the six-time Ballon d'Or winner might want to engineer an exit before that given the scope of the rebuilding job Barca will need to execute.

The Athletic's Dermot Corrigan explained how overhauling the squad will be difficult because the club has numerous veteran stars on sizable contracts, thus turning away potential suitors.

According to Sid Lowe of the Guardian, Barcelona is looking into potentially terminating the contracts of Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Samuel Umtiti, incurring whatever cost is associated with doing so.

By letting Messi go for free, Barca would be forgoing what would be a massive transfer fee, one that could help fund the additions necessary to turn the club's fortunes around.

Having said that, any transfer fee could be so steep that it would rule out the prospect altogether. Llorens and Faez wrote the general feeling is that the combined cost of a fee and Messi's contract would likely be too expensive, even for the richest teams in Europe.

Shedding Messi's wages would at least alleviate some of Barcelona's burden on that front.

This would undoubtedly be a disappointing end to a stellar relationship, but it might be the shock to the system Barca requires to start over.