Thanks for your detailed answer, I think the point I would make is that Messi might end up in court, but I don't think it will be connected to City they won't be there with him, as you point out that's like standing there with a blank cheque. I would also add I think its also by no means certain he ends up at City, if it goes through the courts I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up a Real just to really piss people offI think we are all over the place but that come across that way because I’m answering so many different people with so many different perspectives on it.
I don’t know what will happen. I don’t believe Messi will play for Barcelona anymore. Now having said this, if our present does not agree to negotiate it will either end in court or he could get back to training or if he chooses to sit out the season pending the courts ruling.
We know city can’t pay anything over 100-120 for a potential transfer. Yet many argue that Messi is a free man. I think we all have to agree that if the family and legal team of Messi are meeting with Barcelona, it’s to convey that he won’t stay under any circumstances and that they need for the Barcelona to facilitate the negotiations based everything he has done for the club.
So who is playing bluff ? Who has the legal edge ?
we know Barcelona need to balance the sheets and one would assume they aren’t in a position to turn down cash for Messi. But the president has given all indications that he not going to budge. Can he do that? Sure he can because we know how the contract is written. It says he had until October to say he was leaving.
Messi on the other hand is not very credible in the sense that he says he’s free, his contract says otherwise and to top it all off he has his camp asking Barcelona to negotiate. So what is it Messi ? Are you free or are you not. Contract clearly says NOT.
So let’s say it goes to court ? Barcelona has a contact that indicates his freedom is 700 million, it’s safe to say the judge isn’t going to award them 700 million, but if they decide to take legal recourse, Messi and City are risking that the courts will rule anything from zero to 700 million. When you go to court the judge takes many things into account and a mayor factor in this is the amount of financial consequences it would generate for Barcelona with his loss.
I don’t see a judge saying less than 100 ( his salary ) and possibly double for the marketing and sponsorship losses.
Will City take the risk of requesting the temporary transfer from FIFA and await for the resolution ? What if the amount awarded takes them over the FIFA fair play restriction ?
Anything is possible, but it’s clear Barcelona’s president has the upper hand.
Worth trying. What is lost? A bit of your nervous energy?No ,because it's never likely to happen. Just too many hurdles and obstacles to cross when trying to sign a player of this quality.
Just a reminder, City haven't as yet made a single comment on whether we want him or not, we may well be sitting waiting to see what happens, so there is no "risk" at this point, we may well be hoping, and then there can be a negotiation on some kind of suitable fee, and remember we have 3 people who are ex barca, and they won't want to see them suffer (too much).So let’s say it goes to court ? Barcelona has a contact that indicates his freedom is 700 million, it’s safe to say the judge isn’t going to award them 700 million, but if they decide to take legal recourse, Messi and City are risking that the courts will rule anything from zero to 700 million. When you go to court the judge takes many things into account and a mayor factor in this is the amount of financial consequences it would generate for Barcelona with his loss.
I don’t see a judge saying less than 100 ( his salary ) and possibly double for the marketing and sponsorship losses.
Will City take the risk of requesting the temporary transfer from FIFA and await for the resolution ? What if the amount awarded takes them over the FIFA fair play restriction ?
From a playing perspective, Messi can still make a big impact on this League and improve City imo. Without doubt he is the best player in the world and one of our problems this season is not being clinical enough in front of goal. I am confident Messi could rectify this issue.I'm 50/50 on it mate, it would be a lot better to have him when fans are present in the stadium, what if we're not allowed back in next season, would be a crying shame. He's a luxury player who I'm not sure we really need.
Just call the whole saga off and get some other players in who we need.
Probably a bit of water to go under the bridge to determine this. I like Domalino's point about the potential role of FIFA in this. They could unlock the transfer.
I had the Mitchell Brothers down as Tolmie and Zin, Jason Statham as @Cellarite
Excellent stuff mateI don’t think those flapping are looking at this logically to be honest.
Bartomeu is liable for 25% of the clubs debt should he leave his position, with an election coming up and him likely to be ousted, he’s currently shitting bricks. He’s like a rabbit caught in the headlights having realised his cunning plan of cashing in on his prize assets has gone down the pan. Barça have clearly fucked up and are now backtracking faster than the Italians in a war. They have realised that Messi can indeed walk and have gone from the stance of the contracts wrong to now it being about employment law. They are straw clutching and now in a classic defensive mode hence all the bollocks they are spouting via their social media contacts or mouthpieces. In my opinion of course.
So what options are left for them? For Bartomeu? To be honest very little. He now needs some sort of reverse of fortune, he knows Messi can leave and he knows he’s up shit creek without a paddle. It’s now about saving face and himself a prison sentence if he can’t repay the 25% on his inevitable departure. Yes Messi can leave and it can go to court but does that do anyone any good? Barça look even bigger cunts and are toppled by MCFC, something they’ll not want to see, City look bad for taking the piss as it’ll be reported and Messi will look petulant and ruin his reputation.
But it’s Messi’s reputation we are trying to tap in to, it’s what we are relying on to recoup our money and increase our sponsorship worth, dragging it through a court does nobody any favours long term. We are hated enough without adding to it. The courts will take years and we will end up paying something, it makes more sense to agree now what that‘ll be and get it done as soon as is possible.
It’ll not be us paying though, if reports are correct by our resident ITK’s then Messi will take a reduced wage but receive a share in the CFG to cash in at a later date. I’m sure the agreement will be it’s a set amount but any fee Messi has to pay will be reduced from his share. That may not mean much to us but the shares he’ll receive will be based on a set expected growth, the more he gets now allocated to him, the wealthier he’ll be down the line! It’s a no brainier from our point of view or his. So as much as people say “he’s free to leave” yes he probably is but Barça will not go down without a fight, or more accurately Bartomeu won’t as he’s fucked either way this plays out. It’s not about the great club Barcelona, it’s about a greedy president trying to save his own arse, literally. Don’t forget Messi believes he can leave for free too so that’s still to play out yet and I do t see him making this move without cast iron proof that’s the case. The lawyers represent8ng him wrote the damn thing. Also the leaked contract states “end of season” with no dates but look at it logically again.. It can’t state a date as 4 years ago nobody had an idea when seasons would start/finish as they vary each year. You can’t believe that when this was signed they knew 100% that this season was going to end June the 10th or whatever the date being pushed is, add in FIFA’s amendments and I think it’s pretty clear myself.
How I see this panning out is Messi will buy out his contract for an ‘undisclosed fee’ and sign for City on a free. We’ll then pay something like a £300k wage with a healthy bonus structure in line with the others. He’ll not receive a signing on fee or if he does it’ll be worth not much in reality. He’ll then be gifted shares in the group valued at say £150m, the longer he stays the more those shares mature. He’ll do 3 at City then the 2 reported at NYCFC. By the 5 years his shares could be worth double as a minimum! He’ll then cash them in and walk away a very happy man. Nothing Barça can offer will compete, this is why they’ll (Messi’s camp) try to resolve this quickly and smoothly and get the send off he deserves. The only way this doesn’t go our way is if Messi does indeed bottle it or his love of the club outweighs anything else including a huge pay day but I suspect not.
In the mean time if the ‘Messi tax’ we allegedly insert in to every sponsor deal is in fact real, then we will already be into our sponsors upping their input to the club. Let’s say Etihad continue as stadium/campus sponsor only but up their agreement by £10m, Puma up theirs a similar price say £8m, Nissan another £5m increase let’s say, Etislat £5m and then the other 38 sponsors up theirs around £2m... All per annum by the way, that’d be an annual increase of £104m in sponsorship. But we’d need a shirt sponsor so add another £30m a year as a conservative estimate and we can potentially increase revenue by £134m per annum before any other endorsement deals or shirt sales. This is why we want this resolved quickly and why £85m is worth paying if needed.
Over the 5 year reported contract term, the minimum we could expect based on the above would be around £670,000,000 let that sink in!!! That’s just off signing 1 player in his 30’s.
In other words, stop flapping, if this comes off the numbers stack up and I’m being conservative I think in my numbers.
Uncontracted players, my guess would be he is still contracted even if he can leave on a free transferProbably a silly question but are you allowed to sign players that are free agents outside of the transfer window?
No, and there is no suggestion that City are doing this, as I reminded the barca fan, City have made no comment, nor any contact with barca at this stage.As much as he's the best in the world, if City put all their eggs in the transfer of messi, is this going be enough this season.
Haha cant disagree with any of that. Kev will need a proper rascal syrup if he wants to be Boris Johnson, mindThe Mitchell Brothers ? I see them more as Shaun Ryder and Bez? As for @Cellarite im suspicious his camping at the aerodrome coincided suspiciously with Boris Johnson going “glamping”.
F**kin tease.Tolm's posted, other thread :)
The muffin barm thread?Tolm's posted, other thread :)
We are talking about messi here not some Bruno cvnt . This is 12 rounds fight and today was just 1 st round .Just call the whole saga off and get some other players in who we need.
Obviously, bad news though, he reckons it's now a muffin.The muffin barm thread?
Bloody KFAObviously, bad news though, he reckons it's now a muffin.
Stretford?