The Messi transfer saga has received a new twist in the form of Argentinian president Alberto Fernandez, who wants a Newell’s Old Boys reunion.
Everyone is eagerly awaiting updates on Messi’s future after the Barcelona captain handed in a shock transfer request last week.
The 33-year-old, who is under contract until 2021, hoped to exploit a clause in his deal that would enable him to leave for free this summer. A statement from LaLiga on Sunday, however, ruled in Barcelona’s favor.
Therefore, Messi’s only route out of Camp Nou hinges on whether any club would pay his €700m release clause unless his lawyers pull something special out of the bag.
Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are the rumored favorites to sign him, and probably the most realistic ones as well. Although €700m is a steep price, even for these big-spenders.
Despite this setback, however, Argentina still hopes to see Messi return. In fact, Newell’s Old Boys fans recently took to the streets of Rosario to express their support of the star returning to his boyhood club.
Now Argentina’s president has joined the fray by urging the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to come home eventually.
⚠️ | President of Argentina Alberto Fernández said last night on TV that Lionel Messi should come back to retire at Newell's Old Boys and that Bielsa should return too. pic.twitter.com/KctYPGZrE7
— Newell's Old Boys – English (@Newells_en) August 30, 2020
“You are in our hearts and we have never seen you play in our country,” Fernandez said in a message for Messi on Argentinian news channel C5N.
“Give us the pleasure of ending your career with Newell’s Old Boys, your club.”
But Fernandez admitted he admires Diego Maradona, who played for the president’s favorite club Argentinos Juniors in his youth, more than Argentina’s current star player.
“The great merit of Maradona is that he played alone against the world,” Fernandez said.
“I’ve never seen a player like Maradona. I admire him deeply more than Messi, to be honest because he comes from the Argentinos’ youth. He was a kind of gladiator, with incredible strength.”
Messi, meanwhile, refused to show up for Barcelona’s pre-season medical tests over the weekend in his bid to force an exit.
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