Martin Voogd
08/25/2020 - 15:36
- Clarín.com
- sports
The relationship between Lionel Messi and Barcelona is living its last days, badly despite the new coach, Ronald Koeman, and president Josep Maria Bartomeu. If the Argentine, as announced, can unilaterally execute the exit clause of the contract that expires on June 30, 2021, he will be available to any club that can tempt him without noticing that impossible that was the 700 million euros that he stipulated your rescission clause. Now, what clubs can take it? How much is it worth today in the pass market?
Messi sensed that the hand was crooked . And he made it known in his few contacts with the press when he warned that Barcelona had no chances in the Champions League. Although not even in the worst of his nightmares did he imagine that the end would be a lapidary and humiliating 8-2 against Bayern Munich, which was triggered at the end of the cycle by Quique Setién and the arrival of Ronald Koeman with his broom that has already swept, among others, Luis Suárez, an untouchable for La Pulga.
To talk about figures, you no longer have to think about those 700 million euros, but about the laws of the market . And that's where Messi's price is very far from those 700 million of the community currency.
Messi, during the game against Bayern. (Photo: Reuters)
Beyond Barcelona's demand, no one would pay such money for a 33-year-old footballer, who is hopelessly on the downward curve of his career, regardless of his statistics (goals, assists and titles), his history and his influence on the game. game are superior to those of almost all other active footballers.
To understand this situation, it is worth going to the closest example: Cristiano Ronaldo is 35 years old is the clear example when he left Real Madrid to emigrate to Juventus. The Agnelli family, owner of La Vecchia Signora , "barely" disbursed 117 million euros in all respects to keep the valued services of the Portuguese at the time, when the termination clause amounted to an unattainable one billion euros.
Which are the most expensive footballers on the market
According to the specialized site Transfermarkt , whoever wants to stay with Messi will have to have at least 112 million euros . And he's by no means the most expensive player on the market.
For Transfermarkt , the number one in that ranking is the French Kylian Mbappé, world champion in Russia 2018, who has just lost the final of the Champions League. It costs 180 million euros thanks to his football, his speed and, above all, his young 21 years and his potential resale value.
He is followed by Englishman Raheem Sterling , a 25-year-old Manchester City winger, valued at 128 million . The same market value has the Brazilian Neymar, 28 years old.
And we still have to count the Ivorian Sadio Mané, the Egyptian Mohamed Salah, the English Harry Kane and the Belgian Kevin De Bruyne , all four worth 120 million euros . And also the English -and only Under 20 on the list- Jadon Sancho (117 million), before reaching Messi.
Messi, in Lisbon, after the disappointment. (Photo: AFP)
Will it be enough to pay 112 million euros to keep the services of La Pulga ? Probably not. It is "just" a million euros more than Inter asked the Catalan club for the pass of Lautaro Martínez to draw a simple comparison. And for now there is no comparison.
It is possible that there is no one willing to spend 222 million , as PSG did to take Neymar from Barcelona, the record transfer in football history.
How many clubs are in the fight
Being 112, 120, 150 or 180 million of the community currency its value, to put it at the height of the most expensive, how many clubs have such liquidity to take Messi in these times of coronavirus and lean cows? Few. Although there he enters to carve an early retirement in the rich soccer of the Middle East or in the rising MLS.
However, to that we must add a variable that is nothing less for Messi. That team, in addition, must have options to win titles , more precisely the Champions League. And there the degree of difficulty rises, because, first and foremost, nobody can guarantee you success.
If that is left aside, the fingers of one hand are enough to find possible destinations. Inter Milan, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain. And there not much else.
Real Madrid? Messi's contract establishes that he cannot leave for a club that is a direct rival of Barcelona or that plays in a league of equal prestige. It is a difficult to measure and relative condition, an easy argument to refute in case of litigation. But it seems impossible for him to move into the White House.
The proposal, consequently, has to push him to abandon the comfort that his family has in Barcelona, an intangible difficult to measure in money if one speaks of the highest paid footballer in the world. He is not the one who earns the most, because CR7 adds more thanks to his sponsors.
The speculation game is open. It is known that wallet kills gallant . And after 8-2 in Lisbon, it also kills any plan.
MFV