Lionel Messi | Joins Inter Miami (pg4111)

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mancityscot said:
not gonna be plain sailing this one, will be plenty more conflicting reports over the next few weeks. think we all just need to stay calm, cross our fingers and and wait for it all to unfold.
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Agree this wont get done until late September / October. It will have Lawyers all over it so nothing will be said officially and 99% of coverage will be guess work or briefings from people who are not even sure themselves.

Bottom line is I think it only gets done if he has a viable get out option - we may pay a fee to avoid legals and court cases but if there is not that option there is no way we are just paying up what Barca want. Barca is run by cunts and they will keep him a year just to make a point so they have to face the prosepct of losing a court case to make the deal work.
 
catalyst said:
Yeah could never really expect him to leave on a free really, the biggest hurdle is negotiating a fair deal.
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I think that's the most likely reason for Messi going public with a statement. If he puts a press release out thanking Barca and their fans and explaining that he wants a new challenge before the end of his career, but will work with them for a deal that satisfies all parties etc it would be difficult for Barca to refuse that, without huge damage to their reputation.

Assuming Messi can't be talked out of it, this does now feel like a face saving exercise for Barca, but Messi won't want to be made out to be the bad guy either, so there's probably still some wrangling and plenty of speculation to get through before we have any real news.

I'm not convinced he will leave, I think Barca will dig their heels in and do whatever it takes to keep him, but if he does sign for us I suspect we'll pay a similar fee to what Juve paid for Ronaldo. Garcia might not be included in the deal directly so Barca can quote a hefty (possibly record) fee, but he probably will come in to negotiations.
 
Its actually pretty simple.

If Lionel Messi has decided 100% he wants to leave, and he wants to come to City that is what will happen. An agreement will be reached because Barca would be mad to force him to stay potentially refuse to play and cost them a bomb that they havent apparently got.

Unless he changes his mind and that would seem highly unlikely if things have got to this stage...dont forget he would now be letting down some people to whom he is close ie Kun, Pep having seemingly instigated this move himself.

I am a gold medallist doom monger and miserable bastard but guess what.....I would actually be quite surprised if this did not happen.
 
Gaudion M said:
Barca is run by cunts and they will keep him a year just to make a point
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I can't see that happening, they're in the financial deep stuff already without keeping an unhappy player on a £52m salary and losing him on a Bosman next summer. If we make a reasonable offer - say £70m plus Garcia, they'd be mad not to take it.
 
FCBarca said:
First, I do not believe Bartomeu is willing to accept any exit unless he can have control of the narrative/terms of said exit.

Two, I am on the fence as to whether Bartomeu believed Messi would follow through on a threatened exit or even wonder whether this was not always his goal anyway - I just think the timing (Esp. due to COVID) probably was not something he saw coming.

Three, I do not believe Bartomeu cares whether Leo is happy now or not - now it is about saving his remaining mandate along with a continuity candidate

Four, the money matters for Bartomeu - particularly because the club is paralyzed on multiple fronts without it or Messi, there is a domino effect there that even Barto & his stooges cannot spin into gold. Ideally for Barto he'd get a high fee + player exchange along with a public Messi exit ceremony where he can recapture some credibility although I doubt very much he'll get the latter.
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On your point Four, Bartomeu might want the moon, the planets and all the stars in the heavens for Messi, but who is going to give it to him?

Answer: No one

You cannot demand a price that no one will pay. Unless, of course, that's your intention, you don't want anyone to pay it.

If I'm reading you correctly you're saying this isn't a commercial problem it's a political one.

If everything is designed to ensure Bartomeu's continued dominance either directly or by proxy, then that has to be hammered out between Messi and Bartomeu and if the rumours are true that Messi isn't picking up the phone, then talk of potential swap deals and gazilions are immaterial.

We'll be alright, if Bartomeu does not craft a deal acceptable to City, then we'll walk, we'll be fine, but will he?
 
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