Lionel Messi’s shock announcement that he wants to leave Barcelona looks like the opening salvo in negotiations around the fine detail of his contract and the all-important get-out clause, a Spanish sports lawyer said on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old Argentine has declared his wish to leave the club whose academy he joined at the age of 13, beginning a glittering career which has soured over the past 12 months under the management of president Josep Maria Bartomeu.