Lionel Messi will end his 20-year career with Barcelona after the Argentine superstar and the Spanish giants were unable to overcome \u201ceconomic and structural obstacles\u201d to a new deal.<\/p>\n
The announcement on Thursday that a player widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time is on the market will spark a scramble for his signature, with wealthy Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City potentially in the frame.<\/p>\n
Messi has played 788 games for the club \u2014 a Barcelona record \u2014 and won 35 trophies in a glittering career in Spain.<\/p>\n
Barcelona had been expected to announce that the 34-year-old six-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner would stay, but in a statement the club said negotiations had broken down.<\/p>\n
Messi himself has yet to comment, possibly suggesting that there might be another twist in the saga.<\/p>\n
Last month the Argentine forward finally landed a major international trophy with his country when they beat rivals Brazil to win the Copa America.<\/p>\n
But there had been doubts over his future at Barcelona ever since he tried to leave last August as a free agent, citing a clause in his contract.<\/p>\n
In a bitter standoff then between player and club, Messi bemoaned that Barca had had \u201cno project or anything for a long time\u201d but eventually agreed to line up for another year when the club threatened to take the issue to the courts.<\/p>\n
In the 2020-2021 season, Messi showed little sign of his advancing age as he played 47 games in four different club competitions and scored 38 goals.<\/p>\n
The man who signed his first contract with Barcelona in 2000 on a napkin when he was just 13 has been a free agent since June 30 when his old agreement expired.<\/p>\n
Despite his own performances, the season was a disappointment. Under new coach Ronald Koeman they could only land the Spanish Cup and exited in the last-16 of the Champions League, which they last won back in 2015.<\/p>\n
There had been speculation that Messi would sign on for two years and then head over the Atlantic to Major League Soccer, although his former Barca teammate Neymar has said he would love to team up with him again at PSG.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Huge debts \u2013<\/strong><\/em> They recently sold left-back Junior Firpo to Leeds United and US international Konrad de la Fuente to Marseille.<\/p>\n La Liga in 2013 introduced so-called financial \u201cfair play\u201d regulations setting a maximum amount of money each club can spend on its playing squad and coaching staff each season, conditioned by their income.<\/p>\n At the same time, Barcelona have recruited new players who were expected to please Messi including fellow Argentine forward Sergio Aguero, who joined the Catalan side from Manchester City as a free agent.<\/p>\n Spanish media reported this year that Barca paid Messi 555 million euros ($656 million) over four seasons from November 2017 to the end of last month.<\/p>\n Messi had been tight-lipped about his plans, saying in rare interviews simply that \u201cnothing has been decided\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nIn the background looms Barcelona\u2019s debts of several hundred million euros, putting the club under pressure to reduce the wage bill.<\/p>\n