Media speculations are growing in regard tothe potential move of Lionel Messi to FC Chelsea managed by Jose Morihno. TheNorth London club is "willing to pay" Messi`s £200 million buyoutclause. Additionally the club will offer the Argentinean a six-year contractdeal according to Paul Brown of the Daily Star.
Brown further indicates that JoseMourinho`s side are willing to meet his wage demands, "which could doublethe total cost of the deal". The blues would need to offer him wellover £ 600,000 per week. This should double the cost of the deal over six yearsaccording to Nick Akerman column in bleacher report.
A number of factors can potentiallyprecipitate the 27-year-old move to North London. First and foremost is hisstrained relationship with his manager Luis Enrique. Goal.comreported on Wednesday that the manager told the board that he and the Argentineattacker can no longer work together.
Brown reported that Messi is "atwar" with Ernique, a situation that will trigger the departure from theclub of either the two men. However the relationship between the two hadcooled down at the end of the year.
As reported by goal.com, it later becametense on January 2 during an argument when Messi returned to training withBarca after his holidays in South America.
Rumours about Messi departure heated upwhen Luis Enrique dropped him during FC Barcelona`s defeat against RealSociedad.
"A strange decision after the player was well rested during LaLiga`s winter break", as reported by Nick Akerman in his Bleacher report`scolumn.
Messi went on and missed training onMonday. It caused a stir when it was suggested by Rajvir Rai of the Mail Onlinethat the Argentinean Football star followed Chelsea Instagram page.
Thissituation is one of the sign revealing that the Argentine attacker isconsidering his future at the club.
Another factor that can lead Messi to exitthe Camp Nou is the recent sacking of Barca sporting director AndoniZubizarreta. One hour after the announcement of his sucking news, the formerBarca captain Carlos Puyol said that he was also leaving his sport managementpost at the Spanish giant.
The 36-year old legend wrote on his Face Book pagethat he decided to end his working relationship with FC Barcelona.
Puyol was Messi long time captain during oneof FC Barcelona most successful period but retired later as a result of kneeinjury during 2013-2014 campaign season.
The only scenario that can keep LionelMessi at Camp Nou is his reportedly promise to Tito Vilanova at his deathbed.Lionel Messi might have promised former Barca coach that he will remain at theclub as long as possible according to former Blaugrana assistant coach Henk tenCate.
"As far as I know, these problems allstarted two years ago. Messi is only still at Barcelona because he promised itto Tito Villanova at his deathbed." Ten Cate is of the mind that Messitransfer would be in "everybody` interests".
He argues that theArgentinean star has been at Barcelona for quite a long time and that he needsa new challenge.
He believes that Messi is still worth a lotof money but that his value might start going down from now on. Ten Cate wasquoted by Nick as saying that he want to be supportive vis-a-vis Lionel Messibecause he has been on another level for 10 years. "But I am not sure he willget back to his best".
Leaving a club he has been playing forsince the age of 13 is not a probable scenario for many football fans by now.But many indications reported in various media point out that it can bepossible in the near future.
Although Messi is emotionally attached to aclub that raised him since he left his home country back in 2000`s, thereported "poisonous" situation at Camp Nou can potentially force hismove to North London.
