Barcelona president’s meeting with Messi’s father ends with no agreement

Meeting between Lionel Messi’s father Jorge and Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu ended without an agreement on Wednesday night and the Manchester City target will remain on strike.

The meeting lasted for one and a half hours but Bartomeu remains determined to not let Messi go without a huge transfer fee and Messi’s father remains adamant that his son is a free agent.

Diario Sport reported that Bartomeu attended the meeting with director Javier Bordas and Messi was accompanied by son Rodrigo and lawyer Jorge Pecourt.

With no softening in the position of either party Messi will not return to training under new coach Ronald Koeman, underlining his emphatic insistence that he is no longer a Barcelona player after sending the club a burofax last week.

Jorge had earlier been pictured getting out of a taxi having jetted in on Wednesday morning for the crunch talks to clarify Messi’s future.

But it appears that both the club and Messi are no closer to reaching a resolution after Wednesday’s showdown concluded in a stalemate.

Manchester City remains the most likely destination if Messi does sensationally depart the Nou Camp.

However there is still some way to go before that move materialises, with Jorge saying: ‘I don’t know, there’s nothing yet’, when quizzed about his son’s future on Wednesday before the meeting.

The face-to-face talks with Bartomeu were the first between both parties since Messi sent a burofax to the club, informing them he wants to leave this summer after spending the majority of his lifetime at the club having joined back in 2001.

Even if, as seems inevitable, the divorce is acrimonious, many want Messi to remain part of the club even after he retires.

Presidential candidate Victor Font told talkSPORT: ‘I’m truly hoping reason prevails and as soon as the club and Messi’s father sit down and talk, that the interest of both Messi and Barca will be taken into account and properly protected.

‘Even if that’s the case [Messi leaving], the ties between Messi and Barcelona are very deep; he came to the city 20 years ago, he’s been playing for this club all his life.

‘Messi is Barcelona, Barcelona is Messi, and what we need to ensure is that even if he leaves now these ties between Messi and Barcelona prevail,’ he added.

The fans are understandably furious at how the situation has unravelled with their favourite son pushing to leave.

And they were even more incensed with the forward’s image being used to promote the kits for the new season, one he may never wear competitively.

The other Barcelona players recognise what a chaotic situation it has become with Messi still in the team Whatsapp group and Frenkie de Jong admitting to NOS: ‘Currently it’s a mess at Barcelona, so many strange things happening. It’s chaos.

‘I haven’t talked to him (Messi) about this myself. Nor the club. So I honestly do not know how it
‘But if Messi really leaves, it will be a huge blow to the team and the club.’

read also:Don’t leave Barcelona bitter–T.B. Joshua warns Messi

Jorge met with Bartomeu to convey his son’s interests, which those close to the Messi camp insist is a strong will to cut ties.

Club legends Carlos Puyol, Xavi and Andres Iniesta were all given the opportunity to depart on their own terms.

Bartomeu himself even said last year that Messi could leave this summer.

The footballing world is following every detail of the saga and those at the Etihad are no doubt taking a keener interest than anyone.