La Liga issue Lionel Messi statement confirming £632m release clause is active

La Liga have issued a statement on Lionel Messi confirming the Argentine’s £632million release clause is active in a blow to Manchester City’s hopes of signing the forward from Barcelona.

There had been reports that the clause had expired which would have been welcome news in the Etihad boardroom.

But La Liga have moved to confirm that isn’t the case.

They said: “In relation to the different interpretations (some of them contradictory to each other) published in recent days in different media, related to the contractual situation of the player Lionel Andrés Messi with FC Barcelona, ​​LaLiga wishes to clarify that with regards to the player’s contract with his club:

• The contract is currently in force and has a “termination clause” applicable to the event that Lionel Andrés Messi decides to activate the early unilateral termination of the contract, carried out in accordance with article 16 of Royal Decree 1006/1985, of June 26, which regulates the special employment relationship of professional athletes.

• In compliance with the applicable regulations, and following the corresponding procedure in these cases, LaLiga will not carry out the prior visa process for the player to be removed from the federation if they have not previously paid the amount of said clause.”

Will Lionel Messi leave Barcelona? Have your say below.

Messi has told Barcelona he wants to leave the club after almost two decades at the Nou Camp where he has established himself as arguably the greatest to ever kick a ball.

He has scored 634 goals in 731 appearances for the Catalan giants, winning the Ballon d’Or six times in the process.

But following Barca’s 8-2 humbling by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, he has decided to pursue a new challenge.

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City are the frontrunners to secure his signature, which would see a reunion between Messi and Pep Guardiola at the Etihad.

But any move will now be much more expensive than if the release clause had been deemed inactive.