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The €700 Million Release Clause Does Not Exist In Lionel Messi's Contract

The €700 Million Release Clause Does Not Exist In Lionel Messi's Contract

The stumbling block in Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona is reportedly not active this summer making it easier to leave.

Anonymous

Anonymous

By Mike Parrott

The €700 million release clause in Lionel Messi's current Barcelona contract reportedly does not exist in his final year of the deal. The release clause had become a stumbling block in the Argentine's departure from the club.

Lionel Messi looks to be edging closer to departing his 19-year home of Barcelona.

The Argentine has had a €700 million release clause in his current contract since 2017 when he renewed it to a staggering £1,224,000-a-week wage. However, the release clause is reportedly not active in the final year of the contract.

This comes from Cadena Ser, who claimed on August 29th that the clause expired due to the current last year of the option being an optional year in his contract that he activated a few months ago.

Barcelona have been warning off suitors with the insane release clause number with Messi and clubs such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain were to dispute the clause in court to bring the fee for Messi down, however this has now all been changed.

City are the current favourites to land the signature of the Argentine with the hope that the signing will also pen a renewal with their current manager Pep Guardiola.

The Spaniard only has one-year left on his current deal and City executives believe that the reunion will keep them together for a few more years.

Messi's contract did give him the opportunity to opt-out of his current deal though.

His contract states that the club had to be notified by him if he wished to leave by June 10, to take advantage of the clause which would let him depart as a free agent.

Messi argues that the date is meant to indicate the end of the season and the exceptional circumstances of the coronavirus delay mean he fulfilled those criteria by exercising it last Tuesday.

What do you think of the release clause not being active this summer for Lionel Messi?

Let us know in the comments below.

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Topics: Manchester City, Football News, Football, Pep Guardiola, Barcelona, Lionel Messi