Barcelona have categorically stated that
they will not allow Lionel Messi to leave the club at any price. The Catalan
giants have been in negotiations with Liverpool for the past few days over the
transfer of Luis Suarez. It looks as if the Uruguay striker will become one of
the most expensive players in the world. Liverpool are demanding £80 million
for the striker, while Barcelona are reportedly looking to pay around £70
million. Betfair puts Suarez at 2/9 to become a Barcelona player after the 2014 summer transfer window.
Either way, the talk of large sums of money
exchanging hands has once again brought back rumours about Messi being sold.
The 27-year-old looked less than happy towards the end of last season. His poor
form was a major reason towards Barcelona winning no major trophies last
season. Even though Messi’s camp denied speculation that the player was unhappy
because of his wages, he soon signed a new £16 million per year contract that
made him the highest earning football player in the world eclipsing Cristiano
Ronaldo.
Only a few clubs will be able to sign Messi
with his release clause at a staggering £250 million. Yet, Barcelona’s attempts
to sign Suarez, despite the several controversies surrounding the disgraced
star, hint at desperation at times.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu,
though, confirmed
that Messi will remain at Barcelona. “As far as I'm concerned Messi doesn't
want to leave,” said Bartomeu. “A few days ago we adapted his contract and he
is very happy here.”
The future of players like Xavi Hernandez
and Alexis Sanchez, though, is less clear. Sanchez has been spoken of as a
potential part of the deal that would bring Suarez to the Camp Nou. The Chilean
would be heading to Anfield along with Barcelona paying just over £60 million. Bartomeu
accepted that have been several transfer rumours surrounding Sanchez, but he
does not understand the reasons.
After a first season of struggles, Sanchez
became one of the best players at the club last season. In fact, there were
several occasions when he even outshined Messi. He is subjected to transfer
interest from several clubs across Europe according to Bartomeu. The primary
reason for Barcelona to consider selling Sanchez is the transfer fee and space
in the squad. Barcelona have huge debts, but they need to spend this summer in
order to strengthen several areas of the pitch.
Selling a player valued at £30 million
makes a lot of sense especially given that Suarez can also play in Sanchez’
position. Further, manager Luis Enrique will find it difficult to provide
enough game time to both Suarez and Sanchez once the Uruguay star comes to the
Camp Nou. Currently, Barcelona are behind 2014 Champions League
winners Real Madrid as the favourites for the league
title. While Betfair places Madrid at 833/1000, Barcelona are 6/5 to win the la
Liga title in the 2014-15 season.
These odds could change significantly upon
the arrival of Suarez, who scored 31 league goals last season.
One player who is widely expected to leave
Barcelona is Xavi Hernandez. Since making his debut in 1998, the little
midfielder has made more than 700 appearances in all competitions. He has been
a major reason towards the unprecedented success achieved by Barcelona since
2008. However, his time at the club appears to be coming to a close with a move
to Qatar be heavily mooted. Bartomeu said that Xavi’s future has not been
decided yet, but Barcelona will allow the player sufficient time to make his
mind. Xavi still has one year left on his contract with Barcelona.
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