Lionel Messi Transfer Rumours: Latest News and Comments on Barcelona Star

Lionel Messi would become the most wanted man in football if he decided to leave Barcelona, and recent signs of discontent from the Camp Nou hint that prospect is more realistic than ever before.

Manchester United and Chelsea are among the clubs linked, but could a transfer actually happen?

Continue for updates.

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Messi to United Rumours Re-Emerge

Tuesday, Jan. 20

Adidas may well hold the key to Messi's future, with reports in Spain claiming an offensive will be launched by United for the Barca star at the onset of their sponsorship relationship with the global sports brand this summer.

Jamie Sanderson of Metro reports on the latest from Fichajes.net:

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The sportswear company sponsor Messi and will be United’s shirt supplier next season, and they want to bring the two together.

Adidas could give United extra money to help them pay Messi’s £200million release clause, while other cash might be given to pay wages.

This would get around the tricky issues of Financial Fair Play and third-party ownership, but the transfer still remains tricky.

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Barcelona Put Up United Front

Thursday, Jan. 15

Both Luis Enrique and President Josep Maria Bartomeu have insisted there are no plans for Messi to leave the club despite incessant rumours to the contrary. Indeed, Bartomeu claimed Messi assured him he wants to finish his career at Barca, per Moises Llorens of AS:

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I have contact with him and he is happy, with a lot of ambition and desire to win. He puts in more work than most. There will not be another player like him. He told me that he wants to end his career at Barca and his commitment and willingness are the maximum. There is no debate about his future, he already said that he wanted to stay and he has a contract here. 

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Enrique, meanwhile, predicted Messi will represent Barcelona for many more years yet, per Marca: "We all think that Leo Messi is going to be here for many years to come. That's what all of us at Barca want. We're not even considering the future without him."

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Ancelotti 'Would Love' Messi Link-up

Wednesday, Jan. 14

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he would love to pair Lionel Messi alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu.

Messi is currently the subject of intense speculation suggesting he will leave Barcelona. An alleged row with boss Luis Enrique acted as a catalyst for the rumours, but Messi has since labelled the reports as "lies," per Barca TV, via Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC.

Research offered by Rob Wilson of Sheffield Hallam University, per Simon Stone of BBC Sport, indicates only Madrid and Manchester United would be able to afford Messi's £200 million buyout clause and wages without breaching UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

With this in mind, it's intriguing to hear Ancelotti would welcome the player, as he noted at a news conference: "Although you must bear in mind that Cristiano is the emblem of Real Madrid, and Messi of Barcelona. Each one has their own team and their own history, but to have both in the same team would be a great thing for us. It is, however, difficult to think it is going to change."

The thought of Messi leaving is likely to worry most Barcelona fans. Enrique believes the majority of supporters wish to see him grow old at the Camp Nou, per AS:

The Press Association, via the Guardian, added more from Enrique:

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“I don’t know what the future holds for us,” the 44-year-old told the Spanish media on Wednesday. “We all think that Messi will be at Barça in the next few years and that is what all the cules (Barcelona fans) want. The thought of having a team without Messi is not even something we contemplate.”

[...]

“We are running away from controversies and we are looking to find the best atmosphere possible,” he said. “The changing room is united. This is what we are looking for, even though we know that things on the outside can change within five seconds.”

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Ancelotti is correct in suggesting Messi is the embodiment of modern Barca—he has been the face of their success for a decade now—so a move to the Spanish capital appears more unlikely than those who have traversed the path before.

Clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain—those who have plenty of disposable income but walk a tight rope in the FFP stakes—would seemingly only be able to afford Messi if the cost was spread across multiple years.

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Wilson doesn't believe Barca would allow this, however, per Stone: "Staggering the payments would certainly make it easier for Chelsea, Manchester City, PSG and Bayern Munich but Manchester United demanded the fee up front when they sold Cristiano Ronaldo and I strongly suspect it would be the same for Messi."

Barca President Josep Maria Bartomeu has moved to play down speculation linking his iconic star with an exit. Messi put in a dominant performance during Sunday's 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid, a match that saw him net the final strike. Bartomeu believes the player's feelings toward Barca are highlighted through these moments.

"You can see Messi's happiness out on the pitch," Bartomeu said, per beIN Sports, via Marca. "You can see it in the level of his performance at the moment, in his smile; we are calm because Leo is good."

David Ramos/Getty Images

Thoughts of Messi and Ronaldo in the same team are as exciting as they are ridiculous. The pair scored over 100 goals between them in 2014, as noted by Sky Sports:

Ronaldo beat Messi to the 2014 Ballon d'Or prize on Monday, winning his second consecutive individual award. He remains one behind Messi's career total of four and will be looking to topple his opponent once more in 2015. 

Madrid's firepower continues to set the pace in Spain. Ancelotti's side are one point clear of Barca with a game to spare despite ongoing criticism of "ball hog" Gareth Bale, who frustrated CR7 when failing to set him up with an open goal against Espanyol on Saturday, per Reuters, via the Daily Mail.

Ronaldo played down his irritation after Monday's Ballon d'Or gala, saying the Welshman is a "very important player" for Madrid, per BBC Sport. Imagining a world in which Messi does join Madrid, it would likely be Bale who makes way. Still, these thoughts are tripping into the realms of fantasy football.

Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images

It's interesting to see Ancelotti make no attempt to hide his willingness to coach Messi. Madrid President Florentino Perez is the type of chief who loves to deliver big-money signings, but even he may scoff at the fees needed to secure such a star.

Messi himself has made no definite indication he wishes to exit the Catalan club. He remains Barca's most likely route to success in a season in which he needs to up his game to outshine Ronaldo.