NOU WAY OUT

Barca tell Messi’s dad they will not negotiate a sale and will take legal action to keep the player

LIONEL MESSI could be forced to stay at Barcelona at least until next summer.

It follows showdown talks between Messi’s father Jorge and advisers on the one side and Nou Camp president Josep Maria Bartomeu on the other. Bartomeu made it clear the club are not prepared to negotiate a sale.

That is a major blow to Manchester City’s hopes of securing the Argentina superstar who has a £624million buy-out clause but wants to leave and insists that he is entitled to a free transfer.

City looked to be in pole position to sign Messi this summer with the 33-year-old forward keen to link up with Pep Guardiola again, which would have been a huge coup for English football.

But Barca have made it clear to the Messi camp they would rather take legal action and pursue the matter through the courts than let him go for free.

There has now even been reports that Messi, who held a meeting with his father yesterday, could end up signing an extension to his current deal which expires next summer.

That would be a massive U-turn after the player failed to take a coronavirus test last Sunday which meant he had to miss the return to training.

City emerged as clear favourites to sign him should Messi be able to negotiate an exit amid his mounting frustrations over Barcelona’s recent decline.

His representatives are understood to have made it clear to the club that he believes he should be allowed to go on a free transfer, and that leaves his immediate future uncertain.

But Barcelona have warned that if Messi leaves without permission then they will consult FIFA and would consider suing him.

So there is a growing prospect that he will stay until 2021 when his current contract expires, with Barca hoping to make peace in the meantime.

Messi’s father (left) has been in talks with Barca about the superstar’s future