Lionel Messi Is No Longer A Barcelona Player, The Spanish Club Announces

FC Barcelona in an official statement has announced that Lionel Messi will not be playing in the Barcelona colours from next season onwards.

The Spanish giant made the announcemeny on Thursday via it official Twitter page, where it explained that a new contract for the 6 times Ballon D'or winner will not be feasible due to financial constraint. 

The club’s statement read;

"Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish Liga regulations)

“As a result of this situation, Messi shall not be staying on at FC Barcelona. Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled."

On Thursday, Messi and Barcelona were supposed to reveal their agreement, but instead, the club released a statement announcing Messi's departure.

“FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandizement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life," the statement concluded.

Messi's options may be few as most clubs wouldn’t be able to afford his wages. But he will still be within reach for some of Europe’s elites – Manchester City, PSG among others.

The situation is tricky for Barcelona. Losing the six-time Ballon d’Or winner will have repercussions both on and off the field, as they will lose the best player of the generation to a European rival. On the other, the brand Barcelona will undoubtedly be affected.

See the screenshot below...