Revealed: The Clause In Messi’s Contract That Could See Him Move For Free
REUTERS/Susana Vera
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi’s contract has a clause that could see him leave for free should Catalonia separate away from Spain.
If the Catalan state were to be independent, the clubs present in the territory may no longer be a part of the Spanish La Liga.
Therefore, citing a clause in his contract, Lionel Messi could leave the club without a transfer free if Barcelona fail to compete in any of Europe’s top four leagues.
La Liga falls within the scope of the definition of what constitutes a top league, and Catalonia’s independence should make it highly unlikely for Barcelona to play in the Spanish league as a “foreign club”.
The news of Barcelona’s separation could make England interested in inviting the European giants, but that is as unlikely as rumours of Scottish Premiership sides Celtic and Rangers joining the Premier League.
Assuming such a clause in Messi’s contract does exist, this would indeed make him the world’s most sought-after free agent, and the likes of Man City, Man Utd, and Chelsea will surely battle for the Argentine star.
Should Messi not get the chance to move away from Barcelona, he may have to settle for playing against the likes of Espanyol and Girona in the newly formed league.
With the transfer window open, and Spain’s legislature still in a fix, Messi’s move away from Barca could be the talk of the transfer window.
Written by Sourish Saha 
Law graduate by degree, pursued football business masters from Brussels, Belgium. Sports enthusiast. Love reading articles to do with politics and sports. In my free time, I like to cook some times, or watch travel shows on television. Opinionated about football but flexible and open to constructive criticism.