In a revelation that has sent shockwaves through the football world, former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has disclosed how close the club came to losing Lionel Messi to a jaw-dropping €400 million transfer offer. The bombshell details emerged during an interview with Cadena SER, offering a fascinating glimpse into one of the most dramatic periods in Barcelona's recent history.
The saga unfolded in the turbulent aftermath of Neymar's departure, a time when Barcelona was already reeling from major squad changes. As the dust settled, unsettling rumors began to surface that would test the club's resolve to its core. "A few weeks after Neymar's departure, rumors began to circulate that a club was preparing €400 million for Messi – the amount of his release clause," Bartomeu revealed, his words painting a picture of a club on edge.
What makes this revelation even more staggering is the financial firepower behind the bid. Bartomeu dropped a bombshell: "Funds from an Arab country were transferred to accounts in Europe." While he declined to name the specific nation or club, he hinted at the elite tier of football's financial heavyweights. "It doesn't matter now… that's old news; it was years ago. There are very few clubs in England, or state-owned clubs, that can afford such sums."
Perhaps most intriguingly, Bartomeu ruled out one of the most commonly speculated suitors. "There was a team willing to pay €400 million. I don't want to name names, but it wasn't [Manchester] City." This leaves fans and pundits alike to wonder which footballing powerhouse was ready to shatter transfer records for the Argentine maestro.
Faced with this existential threat to their prized asset, Barcelona's leadership moved with urgency and decisiveness. Bartomeu detailed the club's immediate response: "What we did was talk to Lionel Messi and his father and discuss the matter: we had to raise the release clause." The result was a monumental contractual overhaul that saw Messi's buyout clause skyrocket from €400 million to an astronomical €700 million – a figure designed to ward off even the wealthiest of suitors. "If you raise the clause to 700, it's a very high figure," Bartomeu added, underscoring the club's determination to protect its crown jewel.
This behind-the-scenes drama offers a compelling chapter in Messi's legendary Barcelona career, highlighting just how close the football world came to witnessing a transfer that would have redefined the sport's financial landscape. For fans and collectors alike, it's a reminder of the immense value and global intrigue surrounding one of the greatest players to ever grace the pitch.