Barcelona lose out on a pivotal summer rebuild due to Lionel Messi

Barcelona lose out on a pivotal summer rebuild after a poor decision

Hear me out on this one. It seemed like Barcelona and Lionel Messi were set to part ways this summer after the captain of the club handed in a transfer request and even skipped training to stand strong with his decision.

More from Everything Barca

• FC Barcelona tracking Belgian Wonderkid
• FC Barcelona vs Betis Player Ratings
• Barça boss Xavi to get contract extension
• FC Barcelona planning swoop for Arsenal midfielder
• Barcelona interested in €30 million wonderkid

However, the transfer saga came to an end a few days ago after Lionel Messi stated that he will continue at the Camp Nou due to the humongous release clause for the player.

The board led by Josep Maria Bartomeu has been firm throughout the entire transfer saga as the club had the backing of La Liga as well regarding the 700 million euros release clause.

However, what the Catalan club failed to understand was that parting ways with Messi a season before his contract ends would actually do them more good than they expected.

Here’s why I believe so

Messi at 33-years-old still remains the best player in the world by a clear cut margin. However, with just 12 months left on his contract, Barca had the opportunity of a lifetime to cash in on the player and build a squad for the summer.

Being stringent with the 700 million euros release clause was a foolish move, however, if the club negotiated a cheaper exit for 200-300 million euros, the club could have carried out a massive summer rebuild.

It is a well-known fact that the current starting eleven at Camp Nou is the oldest in the club’s history. The club is in a dire need of younger players in the squad. However, with a limited transfer budget due to COVID-19, Lionel Messi could have been Barca’s ticket to several transfers.

In the end, Barca decided to remain stringent with the release clause and Lionel Messi decided not to take the club to court. An opportunity of conducting a rebuild for the future has been missed. Nonetheless, Messi’s days at the Camp Nou are numbered as the player will most likely leave next summer when his contract expires.

Enjoy his magic while you still can!