The 2020 summer transfer world in European football may have ended, but one story remains etched in many minds. Barcelona FC had to deal with one of the toughest decisions in the club’s football history. Lionel Messi expressed his desire to leave the Spanish club and many soccer pundits expressed their opinions on the matter. Messi’s father, who is also his manager, did not relent in his desire to have the Argentine leave the Catalonians. Yet, there is still more to say about Messi’s future. Football fans can place their bets on how many goals Messi will score this season using this Draftkings sportsbook promo code before rumours start flying in again.
A controversial Transfer Clause
Despite the controversy surrounding transfer request from Messi to Barcelona, football fans have been shocked at his decision to stay for another season. The football greatest player opted not to take his beloved club court for failing. The decision to stay put came in the wake of a disagreement over a controversial transfer clause. Barcelona FC argued that the player can only leave if a club pays £630 million in his release clause.
While £630 million is a huge figure to pay for one player, Manchester City FC in England was reportedly reading to prise the player away from Barcelona. Pep Guardiola expressed interest in working closely with Messi, something that sent rumour mills grinding. But would it have materialized for a club that recently paid a fine for breaking rules of financial fair play? Well, that remains to be seen in the future.
Barcelona President Insists Messi Stays
Lionel Messi is a player every football club in European Club would wish to have in its squad. And 2020 may be Messi’s biggest ever season. At the height of Messi transfer saga, Barcelona president was insistent that the player is not going anywhere. It is a comment that complicated matters for the Argentine international. It was also another sign that the club was not ready to let go the top scorer in the last few decades.
Reports in Spain also indicated that Messi was unhappy with the way Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu was managing the club. The question is why did the player change his mind in the eleventh hour by opting to stay? Well, some pundits argue Messi feared getting into a legal tussle with his club, thereby damaging his image. However, the player said he was staying because the president had insisted, even though he wanted to leave.
Who Could Match Messi’s Wagers?
At 33, the value of soccer stars has declined, something usually attached to physicality. Despite being 33 years old, Messi’s value keeps. Since moving from Barcelona team B to La Liga, he has never played for any other club. But while age may not have made clubs shy away from signing Messi, his wagers must have been a major concern.
Messi is the highest-paid footballer, taking home an estimated $126 million in yearly wages and endorsements. He is also the second player to have earned $1 billion before tax in the history of the sport. Unless the player is willing to take lower pay in the coming transfer window, it is unlike that any club would want to sign a player who seems bigger than his club.