Lionel Messi tells Ronald Koeman he’s ‘more out than in’ at Barcelona and has NO faith in Josep Bartomeu, having cut short his holiday to speak to new manager – putting Man City on alert
- Lionel Messi told Ronald Koeman he has real doubts about staying at Barcelona
- Messi cut short his holiday to return to Barcelona to speak with the new manager
- Reports suggest he told Koeman has no faith in club president Josep Bartomeu
- Messi has one year left and is still tied to a £630million (€700m) release clause
Lionel Messi has told Ronald Koeman he has serious doubts about staying at Barcelona, according to Catalan radio RAC1.
Messi interrupted his holiday to return to Barcelona on Thursday to speak face to face with the club’s new coach.
And reports suggest he told Koeman he has no faith in the club’s president Josep Bartomeu and is considering his future.
Lionel Messi (above) has told Ronald Koeman he has serious doubts about staying at Barcelona
Messi returned to Barca to tell Koeman he has no faith in the club’s president Josep Bartomeu
RAC1 said Messi had told Koeman he saw himself ‘more out than in’ at the club.
The news will put Manchester City on alert. Pep Guardiola has always said that Messi should finish his career at Barcelona but if the player himself wants out then he could reconsider trying to urge the club to put an attractive project on the table for the 33-year-old.
Despite Messi’s apparent unrest his contract situation remains a huge barrier to him leaving.
He has one year left and so is still tied to a £630million (€700m) release clause.
Messi cut his holiday short for talks with new Barcelona boss amid doubts over his future
Reports suggest he told Koeman he has no faith in the club’s president Josep Bartomeu
‘He is a Barcelona player. He has another year. I don’t know if I have to convince him to stay,’ said Koeman on Wednesday.
The Dutch coach also made it clear he only wanted players who wanted to be at the club.
Bartomeu, who will stand down as President at the end of next season, has always insisted Messi would retire at the club.
He will not want his already tainted legacy to include having forced the club’s all-time greatest player out.
