FANS of four clubs are dreaming of signing Lionel Messi after a Twitter discovery – and they include both Manchester City and Chelsea.
The legendary forward stunned Barcelona by handing in a transfer request to leave the club on a free.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner sent a fax to chiefs on Tuesday demanding Barca exercise a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for nothing with immediate effect.
However, the club believe that the clause has in fact expired, with the 33-year-old superstar under contract until the summer of 2021.
Club and player seem set for a legal battle over the clause, with Barcelona believing it expired on June 10 and that a €700m (£629m) buy-out clause is still valid.
Messi and his representatives will argue that an extension should be granted as the coronavirus pandemic delayed and extended the season into July and August.
Either way, speculation over who he will join next continues to intensify with a host of clubs linked with a move.
However, eagle-eyed social media users believe they may have narrowed down his potential new employers to just four teams.
And it is all on the fact that the quartet are the only clubs he follows on Twitter.
Barcelona are one with his boyhood team back in Argentina, Newell’s Old Boys, another.
However, supporters of both Man City and Chelsea are starting to believe the impossible could become reality after discovering their sides are also followed by the icon.
Messi was left fuming at the humiliating 8-2 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.
He held crunch talks with new manager Ronald Koeman just one day after the Dutchman replaced Quique Setien, informing the new boss of his plans to leave.
The Argentinian was then said to be furious that information of that meeting was leaked to the Spanish and then international press.
He is also unhappy at the treatment of best pal and neighbour Luis Suarez who was told he has no future at the club.
The pair’s families share a close bond and regularly holiday together.
Barcelona legend Carles Puyol made vocal his support of Messi on Tuesday evening.
The treble-winning former captain tweeted: “Respect and admiration, Leo. All my support, friend.”
Suarez replied with two hands clapping emojis.
Clubs across Europe are now scrambling for his signature.
Manchester City are believed to be keen on the Argentine forward and there is strong interest from Inter Milan as well.
Ladbrokes have City and – a Pep Guardiola reunion – as 5/2 favourites, with Inter priced at 3/1, Manchester United at 6/1 and Paris Saint-Germain at 7/1.
And according to Radio Catalunya, Etihad boss Guardiola, who spent four seasons with the star at Barca, has held talks with player.
Together the pair won two Champions League trophies and three LaLiga titles.
