90min

Twitter Reacts as Lionel Messi Expresses Desire to Leave Barcelona

By James Cormack

Lionel Messi looks set to depart Barcelona this summer
Lionel Messi looks set to depart Barcelona this summer / LLUIS GENE/Getty Images
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Wow.

After 731 games, 634 goals, 20 major honours, six Ballon d'Or crowns and a 'one greatest to ever do it' tag, Lionel Messi's time at Barcelona might finally be up.

His relationship with seemingly incompetent club president Josep Maria Bartomeu seems broken beyond repair, with reports suggesting Messi notified the club via fax of his desire to leave the club this summer and that he'll activate a clause that allows him to terminate his own contract.

It certainly feels like a historic moment in the modern era of the sport. 'The King' departing his conquered land, and it's all thanks to those bloody ruthlessly efficient Germans over in Bavaria.

The b*stards.

Nevertheless, while Bayern Munich's 8-2 thumping of Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals may prove to be the fatal blow, the work of president Bartomeu appears to have been a greater contributor to the Argentine's discontent in Catalonia.

What a shambolic reign at the helm, eh?

Understandably, the monumental news hit Barça fans hard.

A potential departure this summer would essentially see Messi become a free agent.

Jesus, if you thought the persistent, dreary Jadon Sancho, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhães news reports were bad, take all this in. This is going to be non-stop garbage rumours from minute one.

And what d'you know. Every club under the Sun's already been linked with a move for the Argentine genius.

A reunion with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City appears the early favourite...

Not Manchester United surely?!?!

How about a team-up with Antonio Conte and Inter after The Godfather was confirmed as the Nerazzurri boss for next season?

Sounds good to me (despite the fact it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever).

It's bound to be a transfer saga for the ages and to conclude, here are a few brilliant stats from Duncan Alexander to relax yourself a little amid all the mayhem.