MANCHESTER CITY could sign Lionel Messi on a provisional transfer, according to reports.
The Barcelona megastar is locked in a legal battle with the Catalan giants after his request to leave on a free earlier this month.
Messi believes he no longer works for Barcelona – and that the club’s claim he must pay them a £623million fee to quit won’t stand up in court.
Barca and LaLiga joined forces yesterday to insist the terms of his contract mean if the 33-year-old wants to leave he will have to stump up the huge release clause.
But now it has emerged Barca are obliged to grant his transfer as soon as another club “requests it from Fifa”, according to Spanish outlet Sport.
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The report states a precedent exists between Fifa and the Swiss Court of Arbitration for Sport that would see Messi’s right to work “prevail” over the commercial dispute between the two parties.
However, if the Argentine were to move to the Etihad on this basis, a court in Barcelona would still have to decide whether a fee was payable.
And it is also claimed Messi could even be forced to pay any release clause himself if he makes a move of this nature.
Messi and his lawyers are ready to battle on two legal fronts they feel mean the Spanish giants do not have a leg to stand on – pushing him closer to a stunning move to City.
The stakes were raised when Messi went through with his promise not to report for a club Covid-19 test and he will definitely not show up for the first day of pre-season training today.
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The brilliant Argentine is adopting the position of no longer being employed by Barcelona.
And SunSport understands he does not expect to be paid from August 25 – the day he served his notice by fax.
The superstar had the right to quit Barca for nothing at the end of last season provided he informed them by June 10, ten days after the original date for the Champions League final.
But the player is convinced Fifa’s guidance to all clubs and players during the peak of the pandemic meant any pre-existing dates would be extended beyond the completion of the delayed campaigns.
The governing body stressed the spirit of the contracts should be honoured, and with Messi finally submitting his request just two days after the rescheduled Champions League final, it is claimed that is what he has done.
Barca’s position, backed by LaLiga chief Javier Tebas yesterday, is Messi missed his June 10 deadline so must pay the release clause if he wants out.
But that stance could come back to bite them hard, because Messi’s lawyers believe the actual clause doesn’t exist in the fourth year of the player’s contract, 2020/21.
