File photo of Lionel Messi.
As football fans get a break from high-intensity football actions at the ongoing Euro 2020 and Copa America, there is much more drama awaits on this very Wednesday for them. Arguably, world's best player, if not the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi's more than two-decade-old romance with FC Barcelona may end unceremoniously as just less than 24 hours are left in his current contract and expires this midnight (Centreal Europe Time).
Officially a Barca players since January 8, 2001 means Messi has been a Barca stalwart for 7478 days and tomorrow will be a new beginning.
While a contract has been on the table by Barcelona president Joan Laporta for over weeks now for Messi to sign, it seems the lack of clarity on the progress from both sides meant last year's fiasco between the club and the superstar has probably burned all the bridges.
A controversial tiff with the club saw Messi make his resentments against then-Barca president Josep Bartomeu apparent over broken promises made to him and had no second thoughts on leaving the club, only to be eventually forced to stay.
While reports in the past have read that Messi wants a new competitive challenge elsewhere, the club's huge debts that exacerbated due to pandemic hasn't helped the cause either. It's no secret that the new contract offered can't match his current lucrative deal that costs the club more than 100 million euros per annum.
In fact, Laporta also publically admitted that they can't afford Messi's current wages. The club has instead tried to make up for it by securing a long-term relationship with the player where he will be remunerated by the club handsomely even after his retirement in the years to come.
However, with Gulf-state backed clubs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain reportedly making offers which not just match his current pay but exceed it, must be tempting and challenging for a player who won't mind a new challenge in his career when he has often been called one-dimensional for succeeding the Barca way.
And with no major titles (Copa Del Rey the only success) coming using the tried and tested formula of the Catalans over the last two seasons, gives Messi more reason to leave the cash-strapped club.
In fact, he himself has given no assurance to fans on his future. Messi's last statement on his transfer came back in December last year when he said he doesn't want to talk about his future until the end of the season but has been keeping mum on the issue at all Copa America press conferences he attended; not to forget his face was missing from Barcelona's 2021-22 season kit launch.
However, all hopes are not lost for Barca fans as his father Jorge Messi reportedly met with Laporta for a lunch in mid-April and that suggested that a lot could be happening behind the scenes and most importantly, not to forget the bond and love he shares with the million fans of the club
