adminBARCELONA. — The Lionel Messi-Barcelona saga took another farcical turn when Spanish media filmed Barcelona club president Josep Bartomeu’s car circling Jorge Messi’s flat in the city.
Bartomeu was not in the car, leading to speculation on Twitter that he was in either in the boot, had tried to fool media with a decoy or had been left behind by mistake by an absent-minded chauffeur.
The duo were set for showdown talks yesterday to clarify the six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future.
The Argentine superstar sent shockwaves throughout football after informing Barcelona recently, via fax, that he wanted to leave the club on a free transfer.
However, the transfer saga took another twist after Bartomeu’s car — without the Barca chief inside — rocked up at the flat on Wednesday before turning around and driving off again.
Messi’s father arrived in the Catalan city yesterday to negotiate his son’s exit with the first face-to-face talks with Bartomeu since the Argentine sent a burofax informing the club he wants to move on – with Manchester City his expected landing spot.
Bartomeu was reportedly only planning to use the meeting as a way to convince Messi to remain at the club.
The beleaguered president has a better relationship with Jorge than he does with Messi and is hopeful that could work to the club’s advantage.
But Messi’s father — before talks were set to get underway — confessed it is ‘difficult’ to see his son staying in Barcelona this summer.
As he emerged out of a taxi, a reporter quizzed Jorge for any updates on the situation and while he remained tight-lipped, he did express that he feels it is tough for Messi to stay given the player and club are at war now over his contract.
He was also asked if there had been any contact with current frontrunners City, and any negotiations with manager Pep Guardiola, but he remained dismissive.
Messi is said to be keen to move to City so as to reunite with Guardiola, who managed him so successfully at Barcelona.
‘’I don’t know,’’ Jorge said. ‘’There’s nothing yet.’’
Messi — who has scored an astonishing 634 goals and created 285 assists in 731 appearances for Barcelona — is desperately searching for a new chapter after growing increasingly frustrated with life on and off the pitch at the Nou Camp.
Messi was hoping to leave for free but LaLiga have ruled that Messi’s astronomical £630 million (€700m) release clause is still active, given that the player did not issue his desire to trigger an option to depart for nothing before June 10. — Mailonline.
Online Reporter