By Oyinlola Awonuga (The New Diplomat’s Entertainment and Sports Desk)
Lionel Messi will stay at Barcelona after a dramatic U-turn saw him end his bid to leave the club this summer.
The decision, reported by Goal.com, comes after days of intense speculation sparked by Messi’s attempt to unilaterally rescind his contract on Aug. 25.
Messi and his legal team argued on Friday that he had exercised a clause which enabled him to leave for free at the end of each season.
In his statement, Messi said: “I would never in my life go against the club’s judgment and that is why I am staying in Barcelona. It was a tough decision. I always said I wanted to end my career here and I do.”
Barcelona, however, said that clause had expired in June and that Messi’s deal — which runs until 2021 — was still valid. They claimed that if Messi wanted to leave, he or his next club would have to pay his €700 million release clause or face legal action.
La Liga backed up Barca’s position, saying they would not process Messi’s transfer unless his buyout clause was paid. That stance was criticised by Messi’s father Jorge in a letter sent to La Liga on Friday, insisting that the €700 million fee was no longer applicable.
Jorge — who is also his son’s agent — had arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday for face-to-face talks with Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Sources told ESPN that meeting was positive and constructive, and Barca were not ruling out Messi staying for another season.
