Lionel Messi is reportedly wanting a move away from Barcelona as the Argentine has been seemingly unhappy with the way the club is being run and their lack of competitiveness. But the Catalan giants in several occasions have stated that their captain will not leave however, it looks like Josep Maria Bartomeu and new manager Ronal Koeman have failed to change the 33-year-old’s mind as they Spanish side have revealed their skipper’s price tag. Lionel Messi Leaving Barcelona is Unlikely, Says Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi has reportedly stalled contract renewal talks with Barcelona as his deal with the Catalan club ends in 2022, after which the 33-year-old will be a free agent. But with the Argentine keen on leaving the club this summer following the humiliation against new European Champions Bayern Munich, the La Liga team have named the asking price for their record goal-scorer. From Manchester City to Paris Saint-Germain, List of Clubs Barcelona Forward Has Been Linked to After Champions League Humiliation.

This is for the first time since 2014, that Barcelona have failed to win even a single trophy and in addition with poor running of the club, Lionel Messi seemingly wants out. And according to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo, the Catalans will only sell their captain if his transfer fee is paid in full or he is not for sale. The 33-year-old has a release clause of £631million.

After the defeat against Bayern Munich, Barcelona made a number of changes at the management level as manager Quique Setien and sporting director Eric Abidal were replaced by Ronald Koeman and Ramon Planes respectively, who want Lionel Messi to be the pillar of their new project.

However, it was reported earlier that Lionel Messi met with Ronal Koeman and stated that he is still looking for a move away from Barcelona. But according to president Bartomeu, the 33-year-old is not for sale and if any club wants to sign him in the summer, they must pay the release clause in full,

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 24, 2020 12:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).